About the Campus Club

The Campus Club of the University of Minnesota is the University’s premier restaurant and event venue, located on the fourth floor of Coffman Memorial Union. We’re an affordable member organization that is open to all individuals and businesses, as well as University departments.

Our mission statement "The Campus Club is a gathering space at the University of Minnesota to exchange ideas, advance knowledge and nourish an inclusive community."

A separate entity from the University, the club operates its own kitchen, headed by Executive Chef, Beth Jones. Beth and her experienced staff of chefs are committed to preparing from scratch, an ever changing variety of locally sourced, fresh, and healthy foods for our members. Working closely with area farmers, Beth and her chefs are adept at cooking for specific dietary needs and draw inspiration from the diverse cultures, changing seasons, and bountiful ingredients found in our region.

We sponsor Exclusive Club Events for our members and their guests, which can be found on our 'What's New' page, and we have multiple spaces for hosting a variety of private events. 

History of the Campus Club

The Campus Club was founded in 1911 as the Faculty Club at the University of Minnesota. Our first home was a former fraternity house rented from the Board of Regents. It was a two-story Tudor frame building known as Northrop House on Church Street. On September 25, the doors opened for the first meeting of the Campus Club.

When Northrop House was torn down to make room for new construction, the club moved to Nicholson Hall. In 1940 the club became an integral part of the newly constructed Coffman Memorial Union, occupying the top three floors. In 1956, the club greatly enlarged the dining space available on the fourth floor by adding rooms on top of the east and west wings and by remodeling the Terrace. The floor plan remained unchanged during the partial renovation of Coffman Memorial Union in 1977.

In November 1999 the club vacated its premises as Coffman Memorial Union prepared for a complete renovation. Officers of the club worked closely with the architects to design an improved facility on the fourth floor, which expanded the Terrace and added a Bar on the south side of the building facing the Mississippi. The club re-opened in its current configuration on January 21, 2003.

In 2011, the club celebrated its Centennial with a variety of activities. At the first of many parties, John Adams, Professor Emeritus and Campus Club Board member, gave an insightful and entertaining presentation with more history about the club. There was also a well-written article in the Spring issue of Minnesota Magazine of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association spring by freelance writer Tim Brady.