Geer Street Garden revealed as first West Union vendor

The countdown to the opening of West Union just got a little more exciting.

Geer Street Garden—a restaurant and bar located in Durham—will be operating in the Devil’s Krafthouse, the pub which will be located on the ground floor of the West Union. Director of Dining Services Robert Coffey said that the eatery—scheduled to open in February 2016—will serve traditional pub food along with healthy options. In addition, he noted that the Devil’s Krafthouse will feature indoor and patio seating, foosball tables and an indoor performance stage.

“We really hope to have a space that’s known for having great food and having a great social atmosphere,” Coffey said.

The West Union has been under construction since Fall 2013 and plans for its renovation had been in the works since 2007. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2016.

Several seniors said they were eagerly anticipating Geer Street Garden and setting foot in the West Union for the first time since their freshman year.

“I think that [seeing the West Union completed] makes me more excited than any particular vendor being available,” senior Kathy Zhu said. “At this point, my class had given up on seeing the new West Union, so it’ll be really nice to see at least part of it.”

Others students said they are excited simply to have a new eatery on campus.

“It will be nice to have a more central dining location and have more dining options,” sophomore Paget Barranco said.

Some students also noted that Devil’s Krafthouse will be similar to the Loop—currently the only location on West Campus where it is possible to buy alcohol on food points.

“I think the pub will be more popular because it’s new,” senior Debbie Shim said. “But lots of students are good friends with the Loop bartenders so that’s also a pull [for The Loop].”

Coffey explained that Geer Street Garden was first brought to his attention as a potential vendor after discussing options with Duke University Student Dining Advisory Counselor chairs and Duke Student Government leadership over a year ago.

“We’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from students, faculty and staff,” Coffey said.

DUSDAC member Julia Medine, a sophomore, agreed that she received positive reactions from her friends when they heard that Geer Street would occupy Devil’s Krafthouse. She noted that she thinks Geer Street will be able to transition smoothly from a regular restaurant to an eatery on a university campus.

“The pub will have a similar flow to a restaurant, so I think they’ll have an easier time adjusting,” Medine said.

Coffey said that he could not disclose the other vendors operating in West Union because the interested but rejected vendors had not been notified yet. He added that the announcement should be made very soon, however.

He said he believes that when students set foot in the West Union, they will think the renovations were worth the wait.

“I think that they won’t recognize the place first of all,” Coffey said. “With this renovation, they are truly going to have the best facility and very best food program in the nation.”