KU’s Roasterie locations to be replaced with Starbucks because of KU’s partnership with Pepsi

photo by: AP File Photo

In this May 29, 2018, file photo, a barista reaches for an empty cup at a Starbucks in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

Say goodbye to Kansas City’s air-roasted coffee chain, and say hello to the purveyor of pumpkin spice lattes.

In July, all University of Kansas Roasterie locations will be replaced with Starbucks.

“I can’t say enough about what a good partner Roasterie was and is,” said David Mucci, director of KU Memorial Union. “However, our model has kind of deviated in some ways as the business has changed and there’s more and more emphasis on coffee in cans and bottles.”

Roasterie’s new business model has this same focus on canned and bottled coffees, Mucci said, but per KU’s partnership with Pepsi, Pepsi has all rights to canned and bottled goods on campus.

KU is switching to the Starbucks corporation because of its partnership with Pepsi. Since 1994, Pepsi and Starbucks have partnered for Starbucks’ “Ready-To-Drink” business, where they sell canned and bottled coffee.

Because the Pepsi-Starbucks partnership precludes KU from selling the Roasterie’s canned and bottled coffees, KU “can’t play to the strengths of the Roasterie in the way that we would like to,” Mucci said.

KU’s 10-year contract with the Roasterie runs through June 30, the last day of the university’s 2020 fiscal year.

Roasterie locations on campus currently exist in the Kansas Union, the DeBruce Center, Wescoe Hall, the Pharmacy Building and the Burge Union, according to the KU Memorial Union website.

Mucci said the new Starbucks locations on campus would serve drinks only.

The new Starbucks partnership, which KU is in the process of finalizing, will affect only the Lawrence campus. The KU Medical Center will continue its partnership with the Roasterie.

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