As students pour back onto campus at the start of the upcoming academic year, they might notice a new addition to Upper Sproul Plaza.

Tully's Coffee is expected to operate out of the lobby of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union building as early as Aug. 18, according to ASUC Auxiliary officials.

"We're hoping to put it to fruition and have construction under way this month," said ASUC Auxiliary Director Nadesan Permaul at a July 16 Store Operations Board meeting. "We think we'll be having a successful Tully's operation in the very, very near future."

The board unanimously approved the lease in March. It is awaiting approval from Associate Vice Chancellor Ron Coley before it is signed, according to Tom Spivey, the auxiliary's associate director.

"It's never that cut and dry," Spivey said. "We're still moving forward as if it's a done deal."

Officials said they hope to turn the lobby into a lounge with couches and a "computer bar" along the window.

Roxanne Winston, last year's ASUC President, recommended bringing Tully's to campus in April 2008. But the effort to open an Internet cafe on campus spans back two years, according to Permaul.

Despite recent protests against large commercial chains like Panda Express operating on campus, ASUC President Will Smelko said Tully's Coffee makes a strong effort to be environmentally friendly.

"It's viewed as being a very good compromise between having a well-known commercial business and a business that also coincides with our Berkeley values," he said.

Martin Walker, vice president of marketing and merchandising for Tully's, said the company has always made an effort to be environmentally conscious.

"As a coffee shop, we're trying to build loyalty to our brand early on in people's adult lives," he said. "We also think that the types of people that choose Cal Berkeley as their college of choice tend to be leaders ... When they decide that 'this is going to be the brand that I'm loyal to,' people tend to follow them."

Jay Hwang, the chief operating officer of J. H. Group, the franchise that would run and operate the campus kiosk, said he plans to give away free coffee on the opening day.

Tully's is expected to bring much-needed revenue to the ASUC as well as foot-traffic that might promote nearby businesses.

But Permaul said Tully's will have two months without rent in order to allow it to jump start its operations. He said he anticipates the store will need a year to bring operations up to speed.

"This is a name brand and name brands attract people," Permaul said. "They can rely upon them and as a consequence we expect that they will attract a great number of people into the student union."

Regardless of the added competition, employees at The Coffee Spot in the Bear's Lair Food Court have not opposed Tully's coming to campus.

"Nobody can beat these prices, and all our customers are happy," said Mark Amari, an employee of the Lower Sproul Plaza vendor. "They like The Coffee Spot."

Smelko said that the transition should work out smoothly and that Tully's will be a positive addition to the campus.

"It will benefit our student union and the ASUC on the whole by having it there, having another successful business that students will go in."

Tags: TULLY'S COFFEE, ASUC AUXILIARY