Student-Created Cafe Delivers Affordable Drinks at Yale’s Kroon Hall

At Kroon Hall on the campus of Yale University, a student-run café named Gordy’s Cafe is making waves by offering low-cost beverages to its patrons. Operated primarily by students from the School of the Environment, the café has a longstanding commitment to affordability and sustainability, charging just $1.50 for coffee and $1 for tea.

Behind the bar counter, second-year student Kaley Sperling is part of the enthusiastic Brew Crew that keeps the café bustling. “The price? It’s only $1.50 for coffee and $1 for tea, which is cheaper than anywhere else on campus,” Sperling stated. The café not only serves beverages but also champions vegan-friendly options and encourages customers to bring their own dishware to reduce waste.

Origins of Gordy’s Cafe

The story of Gordy’s Cafe began when Huijia Phua, a graduate of the School of Environment, arrived in the United States from Singapore in 2006. She was surprised by the lack of dining options around Kroon Hall, which offered only a vending machine and food carts during lunch. “The shock—food has always been integral to my well-being—pushed me to find out whether other students and staff felt the need for a café aligned with our school’s environmental and social ethos,” Phua explained in an email.

Determined to fill this gap, Phua developed a proposal to establish the café as an experiential-learning module, named Environmentally and Socially Conscious Café at Yale. With the collaboration of six graduate students from the School of Management and a faculty advisor, the café launched its first trial run in 2008. During this two-week period, it attracted students from various Yale schools and implemented sustainable practices like composting and requiring patrons to bring their own mugs.

The newly constructed third floor of Kroon Hall provided the ideal location, featuring a built-in café counter bathed in natural light. Phua described it as “the kind of place where you instinctively breathe a little deeper, linger a little longer, and feel connected to the world just beyond the glass.” Following a successful trial, the café became a permanent fixture in 2010.

Resilience and Evolution

Despite facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the café’s closure when student staff were unavailable, Gordy’s Café was revived in the fall of 2021 by Anna Feldman, a member of the class of 2023. In 2022, the café was renamed Gordy’s Cafe in honor of Gordon Geballe, a graduate who provided startup funding of $200 and was instrumental in its establishment.

“Gordon gave them $200 as startup funding, which was exciting,” said Melanie Quigley, the associate dean of strategic initiatives at Yale. “With that, and support from the dean at the time, Peter Crane, and a supervising professor, Maureen Burke, they made it a reality.”

Today, Gordy’s Cafe continues to thrive, maintaining its commitment to sustainability by encouraging patrons to bring their own utensils and dishware. Recognizing the practicalities of student life, Sperling noted that the café often has spare single-use items available for those who forget their own.

“I don’t think we’re going to increase the prices anytime soon,” Sperling remarked. “That would be really sad.” The café sources its coffee from local roasters in Vermont, ensuring quality while supporting regional businesses.

As Gordy’s Cafe continues to serve the Yale community, it stands as a testament to student initiative and the enduring spirit of sustainability and affordability on campus.