Brown and Brew may soon be getting an upper deck.
Potential renovations to the café, which is located in Curtis Hall, would capitalize on the space that opened up after the Protestant, Catholic and Muslim chaplains moved into the new Interfaith Center this year. They had previously occupied the second floor of Curtis.
While the plan is still in its infant stages, Vice President of Operations John Roberto said that his office is "looking into the feasibility" of using this area to create a mezzanine.
If the construction moves forward, it would not displace any of the groups who currently have offices in Curtis.
It also probably would not hinder the day-to-day operations of the café, according to Director of Dining Services Patricia Klos.
"It is reasonable to think that ... Brown and Brew would remain open while work went on in the balcony area," she said in an e-mail.
The current proposal, which calls for the mezzanine to be used only for seating, has gotten an enthusiastic response from the café's employees and customers.
"It would be a great addition that would delineate the space," said senior Evan Lichtenstein, who works as a supervisor there.
Sophomores Elizabeth Mendelsohn and Victoria Ruff, both customers, agreed.
"I think [a mezzanine] would be a great idea. It would be nice to have more places for students to hang-out on campus," Mendelsohn said.
Ruff said it would help reduce some of the space pressures in the main Brown and Brew seating area. "There's definitely times when it's obnoxiously full in there," she said.
Before moving forward with construction, the university would have to hire an architect and draw up blueprints.
But whether the plan even gets that far depends on the results of feasibility studies that examine issues like whether the new mezzanine would allow for an acceptable emergency egress route. There would also be financial considerations.
As such, Klos said that there still are not any guarantees.
"It is too soon to tell if we will be able to proceed with any changes in the building," she said.
-by Daniel Pasternack
