Upon entering the Hooper Community Center, students are welcomed with aromas of sweet coffee filling the air and the sight of buttery pastries and bright colored drinks. Café 1175 experienced a revamping over the summer. Its brand-new menu not only includes last year’s aguas frescas, but also introduces new caffeinated drinks as well as pastries from local businesses. 

Students are pleased with the options. 

“My go to is the pomegranate lemonade,” Payton Delgado (‘25) said. “It is so refreshing, and it rejuvenates me for the day.”  

Old favorites like the pineapple flavored agua fresca are popular amongst customers, but the new drinks like the jasmine green milk tea have also become a common favorite. The café also offers options for milk and syrups such as soy milk and caramel syrup.  

However, the costs of the items have changed slightly. To promote sustainability, the café gives special deals for those who bring their own cups. Aguas frescas are now $1, but if customers bring their own cup, they can receive their agua fresca free of charge. All other drinks on the menu will receive a $0.50 discount when you bring your own reusable cup. For example, when ordering an iced cappuccino, customers will receive a $0.50 discount off this $5 drink when using a reusable cup.  

Apart from encouraging sustainability, the café also supports local businesses by selling their products. This allows students and faculty members alike to buy pastries from local shops like Some Crust Bakery and 85 Degrees Bakery without leaving campus. Some favorites amongst customers include the shredded pork bread and the red bean pastry.  

“I had one of the red bean pastries,” said Anthony Flucker, humanities and digital art teacher. “I forgot how much I loved red bean! It was amazing.” 

Behind the scenes, a lot of hard work goes into making Café 1175 efficient and accessible to Webb students. At the counter, familiar faces from the dining hall serve students their drinks and snacks.  

To prepare for the day, staff members clean the counter before and after opening, and on some days, customers can find a whiteboard nearby where they can leave feedback to improve the café. Staff members have also seen a surge in popularity since the café opened this year, which is no surprise due to the newest additions to the menu.  

“Café 1175 has only been open for two weeks, but on a regular school day, especially when students have time after school, the café is very busy,” said Ana Gutierrez, dining hall staff.  

So, how does Café 1175 operate? The business is a partnership ran by Ken Rosenfeld, Dean of Campus Life, Armando Amezcua, Director of Food Services, and Gutierrez. All three of them work together to make decisions about the café including scheduling of the café itself to fit the needs of the dining hall staff.  

“They [Amezcua and Gutierrez] are running everything from behind the counter, as well as looking at inventory and what we need to restock. I deal with a few of the nitty gritty details like where we’re getting the pastries every morning and where we’re picking them up. I’m also tracking sales to see what’s selling and what’s not,” Mr. Rosenfeld said.  

Looking to the future, Mr. Rosenfeld hopes to foster more relationships with businesses in Claremont and expose students to local food options. As someone who cares about nutrition, he also hopes to introduce healthier choices soon.  

Likewise, customers such as Mr. Flucker also hope to see newer options introduced, like fruit smoothies. In the next couple of weeks, students can anticipate the availability of boba milk tea at the café. Next time you find yourself in need of a small snack or beverage, be sure to head on over to Café 1175! 

“I like Café 1175,” Clarence Deng (‘23) said. “And I’m very excited for the future of Café 1175.”