Browsers no more!

In under six weeks, Browsers Café will be fully renovated and re-opened under a new name, Louis’ Loft.

University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union General Manager Caroline Cottrell said the new name had to reflect a Louis’ connection because the two venues will operate as one business.

When annual book sales dropped from $350,000 to $125,000 in under a decade, the viability of the space as a used book store came into question. The USSU also recently lost Louis’ summer beach volleyball, which brought in just under $30,000 annually.

USSU Business and Services Manager Jason Kovitch was aware of the large drop in book sales and the imminent loss of beach volleyball revenues. He said the union had to find a way to bring in more money.

“We had to find what’s the best option out there for us to grow this business in the right direction,” Kovitch said. “This is what we’ve come up with.”

Cautious not to lose the coffee business, Louis’ Loft will offer products similar to those offered by Browsers with a larger emphasis on baked goods, handmade sandwiches and paninis — along with a new menu that will be unveiled at the end of the month.

“We believe in the coffee business there,” Kovitch said. “We wanted to take the core of that and the success of that to be able to sort of grow that on a day-to-day level.”

Browsers had a limited selection of liquors available, so to offer more to students, Louis’ Loft will have local draft and a full bar featuring liquors from Saskatoon’s own Lucky Bastards Distillers.

Louis’ Loft will be a versatile space that will cater to the coffee crowd during the day and easily transition for various evening uses ranging from student groups’ events to weddings to live music.

Louis’ Loft will also provide a venue for students when Louis’ is closed for private functions.

The rebranding will feature a sleek new look for the upstairs venue with round booths lining the walls and the bar moved to the back of the room where the washrooms are located. The flooring and lighting will also be redone.

The renovations will cost the USSU $750,000 and will be funded by the $56 infrastructure fee that full-time undergraduates pay per term.

Browsers closed March 27. Renovations began the next day and are expected to wrap up within a six-week period in time to re-open mid-May.

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Photo: Bryn Becker