Dispensary Cafe is refusing to fill keep cups because of Covid-19.
Both Dispensary cafes (the cafe on Albany Street and the cafe in the Dunedin Hospital) have implemented the new policy. The new policy was implemented on Monday 16 March with a notice attached to the cabinet and the counter of the cafe.
The notice reads “we are taking some new measures around Covid-19”. The cafe acknowledges that “it is our responsibility towards our community and customers to contribute and act accordingly”.
“We have super stringent procedures on our side of the counter around hand washing and sanitising, if your orders take slightly longer as a result please bear with us.”
“It’s just being very cautious, but if it’s gonna help then we want to do it,” said one of the baristas from Dispensary. “Obviously it’s sad with the paper cups, because we’re very environmental normally.”
Keep cup user and Dispensary fan, Jasmine, said “it pains me to see Dispensary ban reusables”. She is concerned about the environmental impact of disposable paper cups. However, she understands that it is a precautionary measure to minimise the spread of coronavirus.
Cafe Albany and other university cafes have not banned keep cups, instead encouraging people to wash their cups properly before bringing them to the cafes. Their sign reads: “we ask that you please WASH AND DRY YOUR KEEP CUP AND LID”. Other cafes near campus have not adopted policies around keep cup use and Covid-19.
“I think it’s good to see the care being taken about hygiene,” said Jess, who we talked to because she was drinking from a keep cup on Union Lawn. “If cafes think a ban is the best option then I trust that they know what they’re doing.”
“I get it, the public just learned how to wash their hands for the first time,” Jasmine said. “It’ll be too much for them to handle if they’re just learning how to properly wash dishes as well.