The Underground is part of a tradition of student-run cafes that has been part of campus life at Brown for more than five decades. In the 1970s, the University was home to Big Mother Coffeehouse, a music venue that sold coffee and sweets and booked acoustic acts. By the 1980s, Big Mother was replaced by the Underground, which focused on harder-rocking music. In the years that followed, the Underground moved from its own standalone location into the lower level of the campus center, which prompted the finale of its raucous musical bookings. By the mid-2010s, the Underground wasn’t making much noise. 

That’s when two members of the Class of 2016 saw potential in reviving the space. With a zero-interest loan from Brown Student Agencies, they were able to reopen the Underground’s doors in April 2015 — this time as a coffee shop, rather than a club. 

“I feel like the Underground’s origin story has a kind of energy that is matched by a lot of Brown students,” said senior Imran Hussain, a co-manager at the Underground who has worked there since his first year at Brown. “If you can do it, why not? Why not ask? Why not try?” 

A decade later, business is buzzing. Today’s Underground is a busy coffee shop with a devoted staff and customer base. There’s often a line at the counter, with all walks of the Brown community pondering the menu and leaving with beverages like a vanilla or matcha latte — by far the two bestsellers, according to Dushin. 

How the Underground runs on student initiative 

Behind the coffee counter, the Underground is structured differently than patrons may realize. 

“Everything that you see and interact with in this space, regarding coffee, is entirely run by us,” Hussain said. “I think a lot of people don’t understand that we have to keep inventory, we have to order product, we have to fix or replace something when it breaks. We really take care of this place.” 

While overseen by Brown’s Student Activities Office, the Underground is not one of the University’s more than 400 recognized student organizations. Rather, it’s one of the office’s programs, explained Assistant Director of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center and Student Activities Marisa Fortney, who meets biweekly with the Underground’s management team.

That means baristas and managers are technically student employees with the Student Activities Office, and the office is ultimately responsible for the Underground’s liability, compliance and payroll.

“We certainly use a lot of Brown’s systems and structures and work with the office frequently, but we’re pretty much self-sustaining,” Dushin said. “We don’t get funding, so we’re all working really hard to make this profitable.” 

Revenue from the Underground’s sales covers wages and expenses, and all purchases are logged through University systems, enabling the café to comply with University policies, from weekly cash deposits to risk management protocol, Fortney said. 

And the purview of the student-run team ends at the boundaries of the coffee bar. The broader Underground space is managed by the Student Activities Office and doubles as a venue for student events, from jazz concerts and open-mic nights to Mahjong and crossword club meetings. But behind the counter, baristas and co-managers have significant agency in day-to-day operations: they schedule and manage shifts, decide which products to stock, collaborate with partners across campus and run the hiring process. 

In many ways, the Underground’s model mirrors Brown’s broader culture of student-centered learning: While supported by staff, the day-to-day decisions and creative direction rest with students, Fortney said.

“I’ve been working with them for four years now, and I’m really impressed by how, every year, they work so hard to create a welcoming and inclusive space,” Fortney said. “They clearly want the Underground to be a space where students can gather and feel a sense of real, reliable community.”

Hussain and Dushin said the Underground’s specials are particularly emblematic of how the shop operates. Each month, the full team gathers for an all-staff meeting, where baristas can pitch new ideas for specials or collaborations with other groups on campus. 

This fall, Dushin expects to roll out a new drink made with Milo, a malted chocolate powder popular in Ghana, an addition that stemmed from a conversation between an Underground barista and members of Brown’s Ghanaian Student Association. 

“We want people to know they kind of have a stake in the Underground,” Dushin said. “Other students can suggest ideas, and we try to make them happen. The shop is student-run by us, but it’s really for the whole community.”

For Dushin and Hussain, managing the Underground has been a defining part of their Brown experience — and they hope to see it thriving long after they’ve graduated. 

“It’s really nice to focus on the craft of something — to build it up, to contribute to it and to pass it on,” Dushin said. “We’re doing this not just for us, but for all the students who will come after us.”