Edward Waters College has new Starbucks, bringing new options to the area considered a food desert

A new Starbucks is now open at Edward Waters College.

It seems like Starbucks are everywhere. Not quite -- EWC just got its first.

“I am ecstatic for my college,” said Shavonn Davis, an EWC student.

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The college is in Northwest Jax, and is considered a food desert, because it lacks access to healthy options.

On Thursday, Action News Jax told you how the city is looking at ways to bring healthy and affordable stores to the neighborhood.

“We got to go a ways to get to a Publix or WalMart, that’s far away,” said Na’im Brown, an EWC student.

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“We have a Checkers down the street, and that’s really about it,” said Brown.

EWC students who only had a cafeteria on campus that closed early, tell me this Starbucks isn’t just quenching thirsts, it’s boosting morale.

“Definitely help with retention and definitely attract more students to the school,” Brown said.

And bring in jobs.

“I work there, I’ll be there 5-11,” said Davis.

“Folks in Northwest Jacksonville and our students like Starbucks too,” said A Zachary Faison Jr., president at EWC.

Faison said this is just the beginning.

“We’ve got a masterplan where we’re looking at, really, really doing a number of things to enhance our infrastructural capacity,” said Faison.

“Finally, somebody’s listening,” Davis said.

Cox Media Group