Reid Hall Opens a Café
What was a long-held vision for many years has finally come to fruition.
La Petite Caféothèque was inaugurated at Reid Hall on Monday, March 25, welcoming students, staff, and visitors alike. Now, all who come to our center may be properly caffeinated and happily enjoy freshly squeezed fruit juices, empanadas, quiches, soups, salads, and desserts.
The partnership between La Caféothèque, located in the Marais, and Reid Hall was a natural fit. Given their experience (in business since 2005) with fair-trade artisanal coffee roasting and brewing, as well as their refugee training program and regular barista workshops, their mission aligned perfectly with what we had envisioned – a high-quality café promoting humanitarian principles, and a unique experience for those who come to
Creating this particular café experience at Reid Hall – one that not only provides a place for meeting and studying, but one where people feel comfortable and welcome – was an exercise in teamwork, business acumen, and trust. Reid Hall is the first to incorporate such a space on-site, and we’re beyond proud of how it turned out. None of this could have been accomplished without generous donations from Columbia Trustee Emerita Ann F. Kaplan and former Columbia program students Eraj and Celeste Shirvani. We also owe a debt of gratitude to our Caféothèque family – owners Gloria, Bernard, and Christina; architectural masterminds Adrien and Pasqual; the Paris Global Center’s Finance team and Administration.
We hope that everyone who enters this space feels inspired, relaxed, welcome, hungry, and thirsty!
It’s a new era at Reid Hall. Bon appetit!
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