Senior Andrew Dowd spent five consecutive summers in Nicaragua, travelling to coffee farming villages. He worked in coffee shops since he was sixteen years old.

His new student-run café, Bloom Coffee, will replace the hot chocolate bar in Ursa’s Cafe this fall.

Dowd presented his idea to start Bloom Coffee to the University in July. The University viewed Dowd’s idea as an opportunity to give students more of a presence in Dining Services on campus and fill a current void on the South 40—a coffee shop environment.

“He has a passion for coffee, and is a self-proclaimed coffee geek,” Jill Duncan, director of marketing for Washington University Dining Services, said.

Bloom Coffee’s menu will differ from the University’s others campus cafés, specializing in hand-brewed coffees and other caffeinated drinks.

Dowd collaborated with Residential Life, Dining Services and Kaldi’s Coffee to develop the project. He will be the main barista at the shop and work with employees from Bon Appétit, Wash. U.’s food service provider.

“I love spices and making all kinds of unexpected spice drinks. I also like surprising people with the drinks I create,” Dowd said.

Bloom Coffee will be open on Thursday and Friday nights from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Dining Services hopes that Bloom Coffee will allow students the chance to relax and appreciate coffee for its flavor and social aspect and not simply for its energy boost.

“It will be a new way to experience coffee culture; it is more progressive,” Duncan said. “It is about slowing down and tasting coffee versus fast-paced coffee shops.”

The drinks will be served in ceramic mugs instead of “to-go” cups. Dowd said this is intended not only to encourage students to stick around while they are consuming their drinks, but also to improve the taste of the coffee.

Dowd hopes to educate students about coffee as he makes their drinks.

“The difference between [typical] good coffee and the kind of coffee that I will serve at Bloom is pretty immense,” Dowd said. “It also comes down to passion and really wanting to serve customers really, really good things.”