The college hired The Dartmouth Company, a retail broker, to raise interest for five to six available business spaces on the first floor of the Little Building, according to a college official.  

While no official decisions have been made concerning which tenants will move in, the college hopes to award leases to vendors by April and have tenants in the building by September, according to Senior Associate Vice President for Real Estate Arthur Mombourquette. The Little Building is scheduled to open in August.

“The types of businesses that we’re interested in are mostly food-related,” Mombourquette said. “This includes coffee shops and fast casual dining that will interest the students and create a revenue for the school.”

Representatives from The Dartmouth Company declined to comment.

The businesses on the first floor, accessible from Boylston and Tremont streets, will most likely accept ECCash to attract students, according to Mombourquette.

Late Vice President for Administration and Finance Maureen Murphy, with encouragement from the Board of Trustees, made the decision about three years ago to search for vendors at the end of the Little Building construction project, Mombourquette said.  

“From a student’s perspective, I would really enjoy some more food options,” freshman Cameron Carleton said. “Places like the [C-Store at The Max] get really crazy, and this is another option for students to potentially meet up and study.”

Carleton said he would like to see Einstein Bros. Bagels—a bagel and coffee shop that had a location in the Little Building before construction began—return, and possibly a sit-down-style restaurant.

“We want to bring in food that we may not have at the Dining Center,” Mombourquette said. “Our goal is to make sure that it’s healthy and what the students need.”