Columbia University’s newest eatery, Chef Don’s Donut Shop, will open on the ground floor of Lerner Hall on April 2nd. The Donut Shop will be “specifically designed to cater to the increased New York Police Department presence that has been on campus since October 2023,” per a press release from the university. After much of the administration expressed desires for the NYPD to become live-in personnel at the university, President Minouche Shafik called for a new dining option for the “brave blue soldiers who keep us protected from the student body.” In partnership with Chef Donald Bartlett, commonly known as Chef Don amongst the student body, Columbia’s Donut Shop will feature various donut flavors, with some including Pig in Blue– a blueberry flavored donut with crispy bacon toppings, Block the Gates– a classic chocolate flavored donut, and the Minouche– a beautifully glazed donut that once bitten into, reveals a bland, stale flavor leaving eaters disappointed and wanting something different. Several students inquired as to whether or not they can use their Dining Dollars to purchase donuts or if it comes with one meal swipe. However, Bartlett informed us that students will in fact not be allowed to eat at the Donut Shop. “This Donut Shop is intended to be a safe space for the NYPD community at Columbia,” CU Dining said in a statement to the Colombia Spectador. “Allowing students to eat there would simply defeat that purpose. You know, we’ve gotta do what we can to protect the community here at this university.”
Columbia to Establish New Chef Don’s Donut Shop for Increased NYPD Presence on Campus
