Dordt University recently opened Defender Coffee Co., a new campus coffee shop near The Atrium that serves barista-made drinks and locally sourced pastries.
Dordt University recently opened Defender Coffee Co., a new on-campus coffee shop designed to give students, faculty, and staff a space to connect over coffee and grab quick bites.
Located near The Atrium, Defender Coffee Co. offers a full range of barista-made beverages, along with an assortment of locally sourced pastries, grab-and-go meals, and daily soups (coming soon). “I’d say lattes are our most popular item so far, though matcha is also a big hit,” says Nicole Rensink, the coffee shop manager. “Defender Coffee Co. is more of a coffee shop with limited hot food options, but it also offers the convenience of grab-and-go items.”
Rensink adds that the shop’s coffee and espresso beans come from The Grain House, a local coffee company with locations in Hull and Sanborn. “One of the owners is a Dordt graduate, and the other used to work here in the Campus Store,” she notes. “It’s been fun to partner with a local business that has connections to Dordt.”
According to Robert Taylor, vice president for student success, the decision to reimagine the area formerly occupied by the Grille was guided by student feedback. The Grille was only open for limited hours, but students clearly wanted some of its food options to be available more often. “By moving those menu items to The Atrium, which is open longer hours, we made those options available throughout the day and added more value for our students.”
Relocating those offerings also freed up space to create a new coffee shop, he says. “We sensed that students would appreciate barista-quality coffee, and so far, it’s been a big hit.”
The Defender Coffee Co. branding is a throwback to a former “Dordt College” logo design, courtesy of Dordt’s marketing and communication office. The nostalgic branding—featuring a modern nod to Dordt’s classic “spider logo”—has already generated excitement on campus and beyond. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve received lots of requests for gear with the new logo. Stay tuned—it’s coming,” says Taylor.
Defender Coffee Co. is open Monday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (closed for chapel on Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:40 a.m.), Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Grab & Go retail items are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (closed for chapel on Wednesdays), and cold meal exchange is offered Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., including during chapel hours. Hours will be reevaluated at the end of the fall semester.
The addition of Defender Coffee Co. reflects Dordt’s ongoing effort to create welcoming, flexible spaces that foster community and connection. “It’s been rewarding to see students make this new space their own,” says Taylor. “Whether they’re grabbing breakfast on the way to class or meeting friends between lectures, the coffee shop is sure to become a new favorite spot on campus.”
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
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