The Olde and the Nu: Paradox Cafe
After a semester-long hiatus, Paradox Cafe (both Olde and Nu) have finally been opened for the student body, and they have come back with guns blazing. Hosting a variety of events, from Open Mic Nights every other Thursday to the most recent student art exhibition hosted by one of the baristas, Paradox is establishing themselves as two of the most prominent student spaces on campus.
The reopening of Paradox has been wonderful, but not without its fair share of challenges. Without a business class or major offered at Reed, figuring out how to organize and run a functioning and successful business has presented many road blocks, and required lots of trial and error. Paradox most recently was shut down due to issues with profit and budgeting, and turning it around proved to be quite difficult. As finance manager, much of this work fell on Angie Dimas ’26, a thesising senior and longtime employee of Paradox Cafe, who spent much of the first semester of senior year looking back on Paradox’s previous budgets and financial plans from years gone by in order to create a plan for reopening as soon as possible.
Luckily, this effort was not a solitary one. With the help of two other seniors, Noe Mitchell ’26 and Hadyn Davila ’26, Paradox was finally able to reopen under the guidance of these three managers and the work of several student baristas, such as Zachary Richard Simmonsen’29.
Simmonsen started working for Paradox this year. As a freshman, Simmonsen hadn’t had Paradox for the first semester of college, and was introduced to Paradox as a barista. Despite only being at Paradox for a short period of time, Simmonsen has enjoyed being able to bring a smile to others' faces through making drinks and being able to work at a student run cafe.
Why choose Paradox over Canyon, Commons, or somewhere else?
When asked why students should come to Paradox Cafe as opposed to other local coffee shops, Dimas replied that Paradox isn’t designed solely for the students who can afford their coffee, but serves a larger purpose than that. Paradox Cafe is a wonderful third space, one that few other locations on campus can offer. While Commons is large and open, it can be very loud, bright, and overstimulating at times and is “not an ideal third space where you can just meet up with friends” according to Dimas. Beyond that, Paradox is an important historical landmark of institutional memory. With graffiti and photos of Reedies from times of Olde plastered on the walls of Paradox, it is easy to step into either location and feel surrounded by the spirit of past Reedies. Furthermore, Paradox Cafe is “a place where Reedies can be Reedies” and is a space designed specifically for its students. As Simmonsen says, buying coffee at Paradox supports other students instead of corporations. Beyond being just a coffee shop, Paradox also serves as a student space for various events. Every other Thursday night Paradox hosts an Open Mic night allowing any and all Reedies (who so desire) to perform and showcase their artistic talents. From across the Quad, one can hear the melodious symphony of students singing and playing guitars with open windows and a full cafe.
Paradox Cafe is one of the most (if not THE most) student oriented spaces on campus. Not only is it run by students, for students, it is also shaped by the students. Adding new items regularly, Paradox has shown that they act on the feedback they receive. On the front door of Paradox Olde is a QR Code for feedback, allowing students to give their honest opinions on Paradox, as well as suggestions for improvement or new items to add.
What about Paradox Nu?
For many students, there is no discernable reason why a student-run cafe would need to have two locations, especially when the locations don’t have any overlapping hours. Some people would argue that having only Paradox Olde would fulfill the needs of students on campus, and that the space where Paradox Nu resides could be converted into something different. However, Paradox Nu does serve a special and specific purpose, one that cannot be filled through Paradox Olde.
For context, Paradox Nu was set up as a coffee shop and originally offered to both Bon Appetit and Paradox, and was soon run by Paradox to serve students in another part of campus and increase the amount of student run spaces on campus. Paradox Nu also stands out as very different from Paradox Olde. While Paradox Olde is located at the social heart of campus, near the Student Union and the GCC, Paradox Nu is deep within the academic side of campus, residing inside the Biology building.
Ironically, Paradox Nu is trapped within its own paradox. To be open more often, Nu needs to be more profitable and make more money from that location. In order to make more money, they need to be open more often. And thus, they continue to have fewer hours, decreasing the amount of money they could make. However, Paradox Nu still serves as a valuable resource for students. If one ever finds themselves losing track of time in the library, Paradox Nu is there to provide a break and decaf coffee. Beyond that, Paradox Nu also serves as a good study space, with many desks and soft lighting in the area.
Although Paradox Nu has no espresso machine, they still offer many of the same things as Paradox Olde, in both beverage and food options. As far as coffee goes, they have decaf, pour over, and french press. They also offer many varieties of tea, including lavender earl grey, matcha, and chai.
What is Paradox?
At the end of the day, Paradox is what you make it. If you want to see a Paradox Cafe that is a serene, calming study spot, go study there. If you want Paradox to be the go-to spot for club events or board game nights, rent out the space and host club events and board game nights there. More than that, Paradox Olde and Nu both have their own vibes and energies. Paradox Olde has become a hub for student activity and socialization, with fun music, bright natural light, and many comfortable seating options throughout the cafe. Nu, on the other hand, serves as the ideal study spot. Nestled between the library and other academic buildings, in the heart of the biology building, Paradox Nu is uniquely positioned to serve the most studious around us. For anyone who finds themselves lost in the labyrinth that is the Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, Paradox Nu provides a light at the end of the tunnel, a cup of decaf for the most caffeinated among us. With hours later in the day, as well as a much quieter environment, Nu serves as both a wonderful study space as well as a respite from studying.
Either way, Paradox Cafe is finally back, and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon. For anyone in need of a good student space or a cup of coffee (or tea, hot chocolate, etc.) stop by Paradox Olde on Sunday through Friday from 9am to 4pm or Paradox Nu between 4pm to 8pm on Sunday through Tuesday nights. If you wanted, you could spend all day in Paradox between Sunday and Tuesday! (kudos to anyone who pulls that off) Go forth Reedies, and reclaim third spaces! Graffiti the walls! Hang up nude polaroids! Drink coffee!