While the sale of wine at Wegmans’ State College store is good news to many, it comes at a large price for its café customers.
The store has decided to eliminate half of its popular café seating area to make room for the wine. Instead of just rearranging its current beer section to accommodate the sale of wine, Wegmans management decided to drastically reduce its café space and cram some extra tables into the remaining small space. This has turned the once cozy café into a crowded and uncomfortable place to eat and during popular times many customers will be left without a place to sit.
The Wegmans café has not only served as a popular place to grab a bite to eat, but it has been a true melting pot of our community. It was a place for families, retirees, students, and community members of all backgrounds to meet and enjoy a meal or coffee together. The store used to host many wonderful family events in their café, including their recent trick-or-treat night. That is all over. The shadow of the once great café is too small to accommodate these events or any larger families or student and community groups that once shared a meal there.
In its rush to sell wine, Wegmans has done a great disservice to our community. Until the store reconsiders its new layout, our town will be left searching for a new community café.
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Melissa Maurer, State College
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