Cal Poly students can now grab a beer on campus

In their fourth year at Cal Poly, 21-year-old students Madison Pace and Torrey Brugger did something for the first time Tuesday: They had a beer in the University Union.

Long considered a “dry campus,” Cal Poly is now selling alcohol at its new Mustang Station restaurant in the University Union.

This is the first year the university has allowed alcohol to be served in the campus’ gathering hub.

Cal Poly worked over the summer to transform its former Ciao restaurant, next to the bowling alley, into Mustang Station, which opened with the fall quarter.

“I was never expecting it,” said Brugger, a sociology major, after taking a sip of a cold IPA. “It’s a surprise. It’s fun to be able to come from class and have a beer and walk home afterward.”

Pace said plenty of posts on social media have highlighted the welcome development on campus.

“I’ve seen Snapchats saying ‘Drinking beer on campus — weird,’ ” said Pace, a business major. “I’ve seen people do homework while drinking a beer, post-class. It’s either library or a beer.”

The new restaurant offers beer and wine, an expanded menu from the familiar pizzas and calzones, and large-screen televisions for watching sports. Students also can take their food and drinks over to the bowling alley.

With the backdrop of the Dodgers and Nationals baseball game televised on a big-screen TV, four friends in the landscape architecture program took a study break to watch the game.

“I don’t know how they ever served pizza here before without beer,” David Jamesson said. “The prices are a little high, but it’s worth it. I think people will be spending a lot more money here.”

Some say the move has marked Cal Poly’s transition to a wet campus, an informal term describing universities that allow alcohol to be sold and consumed on campus.

Cal Poly, however, had already been serving alcohol in connection with some sporting events, including the popular Krukow’s Klubhouse section of Mustangs baseball games and at on-campus barbecues before football games, as well as at the former Sage Restaurant, and at Performing Arts Center events.

Students 21 and older who live in on-campus apartments such as Poly Canyon Village also are allowed to drink.

“Past input from students who wanted to see an on-campus option for having beer or wine with their meals led to the creation of Mustang Station,” said Matt Lazier, the university’s media relations director. “Similarly, development of additional such options on campus in the future will depend on feedback from the campus community.”

Some candidates running for San Luis Obispo City Council have encouraged the university to open a bar on campus to better control student drinking and prevent reckless behavior at parties in off-campus neighborhoods and at downtown bars.

As part of its Master Plan update concept, the university has discussed the idea of a future pub as part of its “Creekside Village” campus activity center, near upper-division housing.

The idea of making beer and wine available in the University Union received a broad level of support, said Lorlie Leetham, executive director for the Cal Poly Corp. and associate vice president for commercial services, in a statement.

The university has some safety measures in place to prevent illegal or out-of-control drinking at Mustang Station, including card readers that check the validity of IDs presented by those seeking to purchase alcohol.

Violations will be subject to review by the university’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Lazier said.

Students 18 and older may serve alcohol in accordance with state law.

No hard alcohol is sold at Mustang Station.

Students interviewed by The Tribune said they don’t think alcohol will be abused.

“I don’t think that anyone would feel comfortable getting too crazy on campus,” Pace said. “A lot of people work on campus. I work on campus, so it feels even weird just drinking one beer.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Cal Poly students can now grab a beer on campus."