Amos residents disrupted and frustrated by overdue Amos Hall Starbucks construction

In July, the Starbucks in Amos Hall temporarily closed for renovations. As construction extends into the fall semester, students are left wondering when the location, which is in the heart of campus, will reopen.

Catie Driscoll, a sophomore biology major, was a frequent patron at the location last year, visiting about “three times a day.” 

“It is kind of a bummer that it’s closed because it was in such a prime location,” Driscoll said. “It’s definitely more inconvenient to have to go to the other location [on Atwood Street].”

A Starbucks spokesperson stated, “our store at Amos Hall began standard renovations on July 7, 2024, and is set to reopen by the end of August 2024. In the meantime, [we] encourage our customers to visit us at our other nearby locations.” 

Some students said they have been frustrated with the timeline and lack of communication concerning the Amos construction. Ava Carragher, a sophomore information sciences major, said she noticed there were no given dates online for when the Amos location would reopen. 

“I tried to look it up and see when it would be back open, and there was nothing online giving any timeline of it,” Carragher said. “All it said was it’s temporarily closed and nothing else.”

With the projected end-of-construction date being Aug. 31, Ashley Bono, a sophomore natural sciences major and sorority member who lives on the sixth floor of Amos, said she is “upset” about the extended timeline.

“There’s already so much construction going on around campus during the school year,” Bono said. “They probably should’ve put a cushion on the end of that timeline just to be sure that it was done and finalized by the time people were back.”

The construction has been invasive for Widdop and her roommates. 

“They said to please keep our blinds closed. Because we’re on the second floor, they can see into our floor,” Widdop said.

Panther Central sent out an email to all Amos Hall residents on Aug. 21, stating, “between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., contractors will be accessing the mid-roof level of your residence hall to complete work for the pending Starbucks renovation. For privacy, please keep your blinds closed during this time. We apologize for any noise from the construction and appreciate your patience.”

Students say the Amos Hall Starbucks not only provided coffee, but a place to sit and relax. Riley Widdop, a sophomore economics major and sorority member who lives on the second floor of Amos Hall, frequently visited the location for different purposes.

“Last year, I would go to that Starbucks at least three times a week, whether that was to study or to get a drink [or] meet up with girls on big-little dates. That was, like, our prime spot,” Widdop said. “Between classes, we used to go and sit in there and do work all the time, because it’s just a convenient spot, and the library is always packed.”

Driscoll, also a sorority member and resident of Amos Hall, agreed that the renovations have been disruptive.

“My sorority’s suite is on the second floor, and even being in there today, you can hear it — it’s loud,” Driscoll said.

Bono, said she can hear the construction noise from her floor. 

“We don’t have it on floor six anywhere as bad as them down below us,” Bono said. “We’re pretty high up, but I did wake up that morning [of the Aug. 21 email] to poles clanking.”

As for the nature of construction, a Starbucks spokesperson said to The Pitt News in a statement that the company continuously evaluates “our store portfolio, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers,” and are completing “standard renovations.”

Students like Driscoll have pivoted to buying from the newly renovated Atwood location since the Amos closure, but Driscoll said it is busier than ever.

“I went to [Atwood] Starbucks the other day and I waited for my drink for maybe 40 minutes,” Driscoll said. “There were so many people in there, and they were still taking orders.”

Ava Carragher, a sophomore information science major, said she has been avoiding the Atwood Starbucks because of the crowds and an experience she had where the Atwood location wasn’t accepting mobile orders.

“I’ve heard too much of it being super crowded and crazy in there, so I didn’t even want to attempt it and risk being late to my classes,” Carragher said. “The Forbes and Atwood Starbucks hasn’t been accepting [mobile] orders, and the drinks are all stacked up.”

Managers and workers from the Atwood Starbucks location declined to comment to The Pitt News due to the level of orders in the store at the time.

Bono observed the same lack of a preorder option, saying she “checked the other day and they were down.”

Liz Duncin, a shift leader at the Forbes Avenue Dunkin’ location, said her store was impacted by the summer Amos Starbucks closure.

“We were much, much busier this summer. Our sales were definitely up,” Duncin said. “I definitely think we’re gonna be busy until [Amos] would end up opening back up.”