IU's first Starbucks opens today in the IMU gallery

IU's first Starbucks will open its doors today in the gallery on the first floor of the Indiana Memorial Union, adding to the competition among Union retailers. \nStarbucks will increase an already-crowded coffee market in the IMU, competing with Sugar & Spice, Burger King and The Market.\nPlans for the Starbucks have been in the works for about a year, said Steve Mangan, general manager of IMU Dining Services. He said there has been a lot of input from the Union Board, a student-programming organization, in every step of the process. \nKelly Carnahan, marketing and communications manager for the IMU, said this is a very exciting time for everyone involved in the process. She said opening a Starbucks in the IMU will make the Union better and help to better serve the students.\n"They seem to have been very successful in other (universities)," Mangan said. "Proof is pudding, but we anticipate having a very successful store here."\nThe Starbucks will serve as a place where students can not only get coffee but can "come together, interact and study," he added. \nPlans call for the coffee shop to feature events like poetry slams and small musical acts in hopes of attracting students. \nDespite the competition another IMU coffee shop will bring, Mangan said planners are confident all of the IMU shops will be able to retain their individual identities. \n"We will still have our local products at Sugar & Spice," he said. "There will always be special things there you won't be able to get in Starbucks"