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Williams Cafe on Sep. 21, 2023.
Credit: Weining Ding
Williams Cafe will open a second location in Houston Hall as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.
The cafe, which is operated by Penn Student Agencies and staffed by students, offers food and drinks — including coffee, cold brew, bagels, and pastries — independent of the University’s dining plan. The second location, to be called WilCaf Houston Hub, was announced on Aug. 13 in an Instagram post by WilCaf.
The announcement said that WilCaf Houston Hub will feature new menu items in addition to Williams Cafe’s existing offerings. A current WilCaf employee — who requested anonymity for fear of professional retaliation — told The Daily Pennsylvanian that additions to the menu will include açaí bowls and smoothies.
Members of the WilCaf managerial team declined multiple requests to provide a statement about the opening.
As part of WilCaf’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the cafe also released anniversary-themed crewnecks that are available for preorder until Aug. 31. The preorder site — linked on the PSA website — described the launch of the crewnecks as a “tribute” to the cafe’s “history at Penn” and “commitment to … quality service.”
“We look forward to 25 more years of serving your favorite drinks and memories!” the website read.
On Aug. 22, the new location opened temporarily for a “Houston Hurrah” event during Penn’s New Student Orientation. The soft opening featured new merchandise options and allowed students to collect free punches on their WilCaf punch cards, a reward system for purchases that earns customers a free drink.
WilCaf first opened in Williams in 1999 and was operated by Bon Appétit, the University’s campus caterer. One year later, Penn Student Agencies took over management of the cafe, which has been student-run since.
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