A toasting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of Argo Tea was held Feb. 4 at the Butler library, marking the organic tea and café chain’s first location in Western New York.

The kiosk, which is located toward the back of the Creativity Commons, is the finished product of a $630,000 project coordinated by Chartwells.

Interim president Howard Cohen and Maryruth Glogowski, associate vice president of the library, gave welcoming speeches for Argo Tea.

Glogowski thanked those who were involved in the process of bringing Argo Tea to campus, including BHNT Architects, MLP Plumbing and Mechanical and Chartwells. Student Affairs also played a role.

Manny Lezama, Chartwells’ district manager, said that Buffalo State wanted to bring something that was “sustainable, healthy and trendy,” making Argo Tea a sheik pick fit for the campus.

The kiosk will offer a wide-ranging menu of organic snacks and beverages, including bubble tea, raw flax seed bars and brown rice and quinoa infused with tea to make salads.

“Argo Tea is a very unique brand,” Lezama said. “The products they provide are well proportioned and have great nutrition. It is a great, sustainable concept.”

Buffalo State alumnus Jane Calvert was named manager of Argo Tea.

Calvert, a former Chartwells intern who graduated with a degree in dietetics and nutrition, spent three weeks in Chicago training to meet Argo standards of maintaining a successful teashop.

Marissa Dinello, director of marketing for Chartwells’ Buffalo State chapter, said that Calvert is one of the first students to be put in a permanent position with Buffalo State Dining through the internship program.

“Argo Tea goes out of their way to make sure they serve very fine foods for students who are looking for something healthy and a little different,” Calvert said, adding that each tea selection on the menu is organic and brewed loose-leaf as opposed to with a bag.

According to Calvert, Argo Tea is very passionate about going directly to the growers of the tea and providing organic products whenever they can.

“Argo Tea goes out of their way to make sure that it is fair trade, organic products,” Calvert said. “For students looking for something healthy and different, we’re definitely pulling that market over.”

Originally based in Chicago, Argo Tea is beginning to expand into the college market.

Buffalo State is the seventh college nationally to open an Argo Tea location on campus, according to Dinello.

“It speaks volumes for Buffalo State that they’re one of the first colleges to bring something that students are really looking forward to,” Dinello said.

Glogowski said that two years ago, Timothy Ecklund, who works with housing and auxiliary services, conducted a survey and focus group amongst the students to confirm the decision of bringing Argo Tea on campus.

According to Calvert, Glogowski, and Lezama, select items from the menu of Argo Tea are imported from France, such as macaroons, croissants and bread for the paninis.

“They source their equipment from all around the world,” Glogowski said. “The ovens are from Germany and the cappuccino maker is from Italy.”

Email: [email protected]