On a typical morning, the Pit-Stop is packed with students grabbing their coffees to-go or a quick breakfast before their first class. The blend of student voices, coffee grinders and espresso machine creates a comforting ambiance throughout this small but homey space. For some, such an environment may be overstimulating in the morning, but for many Pitzer students, a trip to the Pit-Stop signifies the start of a new day.
While there are many cafes scattered across the 5Cs, the Pit-Stop has become an essential space for not just Pitzer but other schools as well. This is in large part due to the three regular workers at the Pit-Stop: Viridiana Garcia, Ulises Heredia and Freddie Guerrero. Every day, these three bring kindness and excitement to their interactions with students.
“My favorite thing about working at the Pit-Stop is the community,” Heredia shared. “I feel like we have a strong community that either comes for coffee or just to hangout.”
When asked about their favorite parts of working at the Pit-Stop, Garcia and Guerrero were quick to share similar answers.
“My favorite thing about being at the Pit-Stop is probably being able to build different relationships with [students],” Garcia said. “I feel like in [McConnell] you don’t get that same connection.”
For Guerrero, a big part of the appeal of working at the Pit-Stop is talking to the students.
“I like to talk to people,” Guerrero said. “At the dining hall I can’t do that. Over there it’s just like ‘lets go, lets go’ … Over here it’s like more chill or relaxed.”
“The staff is so warm and they work really hard,” said Fliegel. “We’ve all seen how long that line gets and they always tend to each student with equal care and consideration.”
Another part of what makes the Pit-Stop so special is its size. With only three tables and two small couches, the cozy space creates a more intimate atmosphere for its customers. The number of workers is also small — most of the time it is just Garcia, Heredia and Guerrero working. Occasionally, they are joined by other McConnell staff members when lines get long. The small space and staff allows the Pit-Stop to be a space for creating and cultivating student-worker friendships.
However, the size also has its drawbacks. Only so many students can be inside at once before it starts to feel claustrophobic. All three workers wish the space could be expanded.
“I think if we had a bigger space … it’d be more useful for the Pitzer community,” Heredia said. “[More] people [could] come here and hang out, or people [could] come and study.”
Guerrero echoed this sentiment.
“I would expand it, to be honest,” Guerrero said. “I kind of wish we got some new chairs and new furniture probably … That would be perfect.”
Regardless of the sometimes cramped nature of the space, students often still choose the Pit-Stop over other campus cafés.
Ashley Fliegel PZ ’26 shared that even though places like The Hub or Café 47 can have more food or drink options, the Pit-Stop remains her go-to choice, mainly for its welcoming environment.
“The staff is so warm and they work really hard,” said Fliegel. “We’ve all seen how long that line gets and they always tend to each student with equal care and consideration.”
Heredia also shared an important point about the openness of the Pit-Stop environment.
“Students and staff are welcome to come even if they don’t buy anything,” Heredia said. “We still like to have people here and just hang out.”
Garcia elaborated on Heredia’s point.
“I wish that [the students] knew that we genuinely care about you guys,” Heredia said. “When we ask you ‘how is your day going?’ we genuinely mean that. So I hope that you guys feel that.”
The Pit-Stop has been a staple across the Pitzer community, bridging gaps between students, faculty and staff. The positive interactions the Pit-Stop fosters every morning can set the tone for a new and exciting day for each student who visits.