Smoothie King and Starbucks will begin repairs in May and are expected to be complete for the fall semester. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar
The Starbucks and Smoothie King located in the Student Center Satellite will reopen in Fall 2018, one year after Hurricane Harvey flooded the facility.
Most vendors at the Satellite reopened in October except Smoothie King, Starbucks and the Market.
District marketing manager for UH Dining Services Abel Valencia said these spots received the most extensive damage. This was due to the flood damaging the building itself, which led to the damage being more significant than other parts of the Satellite. Walls will need to be rebuilt.
“These locations suffered the most considerable damage, and we can’t operate them without a successful health inspection upon completion of the repairs,” Valencia said.
Valencia said the Starbucks and Smoothie King corporate offices need to send materials to UH to repair the Satellite, which takes time to produce on their end. Valencia said insurance has also been a delaying factor, as well as timing the repairs.
“The insurance claim process is lengthy. We did not want to complete the work in the middle of the semester and disrupt building operations,” Valencia said.
History junior Ronnie Garcia is frustrated with the delay.
“I think it’s ridiculous — like, how it has been so long but they still can’t open it?” Garcia said. “I see it as it’s not the top of the list.”
Broadcast journalism freshman Amira Elkurdi said that once the Starbucks is reopened, it will bring more convenience to students who are closer to Satellite than the Student Center South.
“They really need to reopen it because it will disperse the business from the Student Center and make it more accessible for people like me who are more on that side of the campus most of the day,” Elkurdi said.
The repairs will begin in May and are expected to be complete by fall.
