You may have noticed that the corner coffee shop outside of the Student Union Memorial Center has changed once again. The canyon has been inundated with ice cream, and that sounds like the best possible situation for pretty much any space.

The Scoop is partnered with Phoenix-based Shamrock Farms, the student union’s primary vendor, to provide a hybrid ice cream and coffee shop with an aesthetic as smooth as their treats.

Tuesday was the shop’s soft opening, serving customers for the first time from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The hope is to expand a little each day, with tomorrow’s hours being 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and eventually 8 a.m.-5 p.m., according to Student Union Interim Director Todd Millay.

“Honestly, [it’s] just a fun place for the students to come and hang out,” Millay said of his hopes for the newly designed corner spot.

The director held in his hand a clear, curved goblet of what looked like a creamy stout, and this observation was not too far off regarding the specifics of what was clearly, contextually, coffee.

“It’s a cold-brew coffee made with nitrogen gas inside of it,” said Scoop executive chef Michael Omo. “So, nitrogen gas is used to make stout beer.”

The brew looks creamy, but Omo said it’s just that—a look.

“It has very small bubbles in it, so it has a creaminess … but there’s no cream inside of it. You can get it with ice cream, though, and have a float. It really makes it even that much more decadent,” Omo said.

Aren’t we lucky to go to school where it is really never too cold for ice cream?

“So, [it’s] very similar to what an affogato is for Italians. This is just another version of it.”

Omo was one of the masterminds behind the sweet menu, which includes a fresh, deep-dish cookie sundae made to order with your choice of ice cream and toppings, among other more simple sundaes.

They also chose to capitalize on Shamrock’s Rockin’ Refuel protein beverages, with protein smoothies mixing the flavored milky protein with base goodies like strawberries, avocado, blueberries, peaches, bananas and yogurt, to give it more of a smoothie sense.

Maybe you have been addicted to coffee since junior high, and maybe you have never had anything more intense than a Starbucks Frappuccino, but either way, this cold-brew coffee is something everyone should try.

Along with good coffee, students will now have an ice cream shop outside of the crowded U-Mart, and the rest of the menu and lounge ambiance to enjoy.

Change is good, and we all know ice cream has a promise to stick around.

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