Coffee Shop Closes, Yalies Go Batshit Crazy
Yale's famed coffee shop, The Yankee Doodle, unexpectedly shut its doors on Monday, leaving nostalgic Yalies confused, angry, and ready to write thousands of words to one another about how much they loved this restaurant that they don't actually seem to frequent anymore. The "Doodle" - which actually sounds like a pretty neat place, a 280 square foot hole-in-the-wall with twelve stools and some skillets - shut its doors because the Beckwith family, which has owned it for over fifty-seven years (I can totally imagine Franny or Seymour hanging out there!) could no longer pay the rent.
But the Yale community isn't letting this piece of history go gently into the night. Not since, well, not since last week when Zeta Psi did some very stupid things have we seen such an outcry in the pages of the Yale Daily News.
The over-the-top coverage has been nothing short of extraordinary: there have been columns, eulogies, and yes, even a poem (and it's not "Yankee Doodle Went To Town").
A sample:
[That era] went riding out of town yesterday with Yankee Doodle. And all that may be left are the reflections."
Annette Walton, the Flower Lady, who spends her days on the intersection at which Yankee Doodle made its mark for 58 years, took the news particularly hard… "Oh my god, oh my god. I would have given them some flowers or something if I knew. I would have given them some flowers."
An excerpt from the poem by YDN "Guest Poet" Mark J. Schenker:
I just can't get it through my noodle:/ Someone up and yanked The Doodle! / I write as one who found it dandy:/ The food was good, and fast, and handy."
According to the YDN, owner Richard Beckwith has received "thousands of e-mails and phone calls in support of the Doodle" (thousands, YDN? Really?).
But not so fast! The Doodle might not be going anywhere, not just yet… After the jump: the Doodle's planned resurrection.
The Doodle recently tried to sell life placards on each of its twelve stools for $2,000. Most people thought it was a hoax. But it's a hoax no more!
Several Save-the-Doodle Facebook groups have popped up; one is raising emergency cash for the Doodle via PayPal:
Scott Proper, Anton Orlich, and other alums held a conference call with Rick Beckwith on 1/30/08. The purpose of the call was to:
1) identify the problems that contributed to the close of The Doodle 2) identify solutions to these problems
Rick asked that the majority of the material specifics from this conversation be kept confidential. As a courtesy to Rick, we are keeping these specifics confidential. The gist is that Rick has some very real, tangible, and immediate needs that can only be cured by cash. Rick has many ideas about strategies to improve The Doodle to make it financially viable in the long-term. We will have to tend to these strategies later. Please donate money via paypal to Rick at: ydcsthedoodle@aol.com."
Good luck, Yankee Doodle. We certainly don't need any more Paneras and Au Bon Pains colonizing our college towns.
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January 31st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Pretty typical Yale fashion, not spending care on something from the Glory Days until it’s gone. Always on the tour pamphlets but never on hearts and minds. Just like sports. HYP, anyone? More like just P.
God I miss the 40s.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:02 pm
is ivygate retarded? yankee doodle was not just a coffee shop. in fact, it was never open at the times that normal yalies wanted to drink coffee (i.e. in the middle of the day, to look cool in class). yankee doodle was hangover food and rude service.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
The Yankee Doodle used to have extended evening hours, but they cut those back because of illness in the family. Several of the menu items are completely unique. Rude service? Maybe they’ve been going through some tough times lately, but in years past, they learned students’ names and would know your order and even keep a tab for you.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Those were the times when gentlemen were still gentlemen, when heathens were not allowed on the hallowed walks of the Ivy League. Those were the days when our schools stood tall even without the title, “Ivy League.”
January 31st, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Au contraire: I’m talking about this decade.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:12 pm
If only they had a business school to try and fix it.
They do? oh that’s so cute! What’s worse, Yale’s or Cornell’s?
January 31st, 2008 at 11:20 pm
haha i didn’t read the article but that headline is great
February 1st, 2008 at 12:11 am
the level of pretension in this comment thread is staggering. someone actually said, “god i miss the 40s” completely unfacetiously.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:58 am
Yale’s is fairly recent (70s). Both are very good schools:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.C._Johnson_Graduate_School_of_Management#Reputation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_School_of_Management#Admissions_and_rankings
February 1st, 2008 at 9:25 am
The only thing, ambience-wise, that the Yale experience had over Dartmouth was the succulent viands and crisp service of the Doodle. I predict the number of applicants to Yale will plummet–or mqybe not, if Yale attracts clueless nincompoops like y09.
February 1st, 2008 at 9:33 am
@@ViolentQuaker:
I beg to differ. SOM is not a good school (although Cornell’s is probably worse). People there are quite a bit dumber than they are in Yale College (although I assume it is probably similar for other Ivy b-schools).
February 1st, 2008 at 11:42 am
I can assure you that people at any business school are dumber, or at least act dumber, than their undergraduate counterparts.
February 1st, 2008 at 9:30 pm
I’ve never had better times than at the “doodle” in New Haven. Love was always in the air and great food was in my belly! :)
February 3rd, 2008 at 3:18 am
Having taken a few classes at SOM, I can say yes, what violentquaker was true in years prior to the current one. This year the aptitude of SOM students has increased markedly. Could it really be the revamped curriculum?
February 4th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Everyone forgot about the grilled donuts.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I’ll never forget the grilled donuts.
Never.