Fresh-brewed frustration between University administrators and My Favorite Muffin personnel came pouring out of the Wharton Cafe Wednesday morning when University Vending Services terminated the vendor's contract. And that same morning, the Boston-based Au Bon Pain cafe chain began serving its first cups of coffee from a make-shift concession stand in the basement of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, when UVS named the coffee, bagel and sandwich franchise the official vendor of the Wharton Cafe. Au Bon Pain, which currently operates 11 franchises in the Philadelphia area, will offer a lunch and breakfast menu, including breads and soups, when it officially opens early Monday morning. "We're going to try to be very responsive and offer efficient service and a good selection," Au Bon Pain franchise co-owner Bart Isdaner said. The termination of My Favorite Muffin's contract was the result of hundreds of complaints from students, faculty and staff against the former occupant, said Wharton Facilities Services Director Peter Wieck. Wieck reported My Favorite Muffin's "inadequate service level" last fall to Vending Services Manager Sandy Bates, whose department terminated the My Favorite Muffin contract. "My Favorite Muffin couldn't adapt to meet the different needs and desires of the Wharton community," Bates said. "We received complaints from day one," Wieck said, pointing to allegations of rude employees, basic hygiene violations, poor quality products and a general lack of product variety and availability. Wharton sophomore Harlan Cherniak seemed to agree. "My Favorite Muffin was getting stale," he said. Wieck also said that My Favorite Muffin reneged on its original hours of operation and its promises to offer discounts and package deals to students and staff. The former My Favorite Muffin manager -- who requested anonymity -- acknowledged that the cafe frequently suffered from a lack of product, which she said was due to the high volume of sales. "We tried to order enough, but enough was never enough," she said. The manager denied that her staff was not hygienic. She added that Wharton officials were "unprofessional" when they terminated the cafe's lease, stressing that officials did not warn My Favorite Muffin employees beforehand that they were about to lose their jobs. But Wieck said Wharton officials informed My Favorite Muffin corporate headquarters about the decision to end the lease. Students and faculty said they did not mind the switch from one cafe to the other, and others said they had not even noticed. "I won't miss the My Favorite Muffin franchise, but I do like to see the coffee shop open in the morning," first-year Wharton MBA student Troy Figgins said. Wharton sophomore Nikhil Da Victoria Lobo added, "As long as Au Bon Pain serves good food so I am less than 15 minutes late for my class, I'm happy." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Jeffrey Joseph contributed to this article.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
