The new cafe and gift shop at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art opened for business Monday, giving students, faculty and staff just a taste of what to expect when the full museum opens on Jan. 23.
Marche Museum Café and the Museum Store, a gift shop operated in conjunction with the University Bookstore, opened without fanfare or public notice, but the cafe managed to draw its first rush of customers Tuesday, cafe Manager Leah Pearl said.
“I’m really excited for the museum to open,” Pearl said. “I think that if you go to museums in larger cities they have tasty cafes in them. And I think that we hope to follow in that vein.”
Customers for the first two days were mostly University staff, but Pearl said she hopes to see more students take advantage of the location, which also has wireless Internet capability.
Katie Sproles, spokeswoman for the museum, said the gift shop will stock gifts relating to current exhibits at the museum. Currently, the shop houses Andy Warhol gifts and memorabilia to accompany the new museum’s first exhibit. Prior to the expansion, the museum had a smaller gift shop.
“I think it’s just a great way for people to extend their visit and a great gathering in place for people on campus and the community,” Sproles said.

[email protected]