TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona is getting into the food industry. It's first licensed food product is coffee, that is called Wildcat Local Roast. It is UA's very own coffee blend that was created by the student union, and tested and approved by students.
"We surveyed over 3,000 people in the U of A community. That includes staff, students and faculty, as well as alumni. And they all picked the same coffee that you see behind you," said Neysha Aguilar, the marketing and communications manager with the UA student union.
In a partnership with Shamrock Farms, the creation of this brand started a year and a half ago. A student alumn designed the logo while the union's executive chef perfected their first coffee blend.
"Ground coffee, the beans, the K-Cups. And now it kind of spiraled into this amazing expansion of the brand that we're now including chocolate, and eventually ice cream," said Aguilar.
The ice cream is expected to roll out in about a year or two. But along with the ground coffee and K-Cups, the chocolate bars are already selling off the shelves of student union stores.
"The Scoop, On Deck Deli. If you go to grab coffee across campus at a dining location that we manage, that's the coffee that we have. Same as the Bookstore. So even those that live across the U.S. and they're alumns, if you're in Chicago you can order it from the Bookstore online," said Aguilar.
Aguilar said the K-Cups have been the hot item the union has had to reorder several times. In the future, the university plans on rolling out Wildcat Local's food brand to grocery chains first in the Tuscon area, then across the state.
