Susie’s, better known to most students as The Den, features a convenience store-like haven for Andover students, whether they’re craving a post-exam sweet treat or grabbing food to make up for a missed breakfast. After a summer of remodeling and renovation, this year’s Den sports a new layout, roomier space, and a fully stocked fridge of new drinks and snacks. Here is what Andover students think of the 2026-2027 school year’s Den.
While some students have eagerly branched out to try the new options, others have stayed loyal to their old favorites. Forrest Wang ’29 shared his take on the many new additions.
“I think the biggest change is the food and snack selection in Susie’s, like the [froyo] machine and such. The snack selection has definitely increased, but it just hasn’t been that apparent to me because all the snacks I liked and bought last year have stayed the same… [The froyo machine] was a good improvement, but I don’t think that many people have used it so far. I don’t think it’s something students actually want. It’s just something they thought was kind of cool,” said Wang.
The beverage options in the Den have grown noticeably since last year, with a wider range of flavors coupled with new additions like Poppi prebiotic soda and Naked protein smoothies. Caroline Bresler ’29 reflected on how this year’s beverage lineup compares to last year’s.
“Recently, I’ve been trying all the Poppi flavors that I’ve never tried before and trying to find which one I like the best. I like that they have a lot of options, because I know in most places where they sell Poppi don’t have as many options as we have, and I was very surprised at the wide selection… I don’t really miss anything from the old den. I think that all the changes that were made were for the better. I think it’s improved from last year,” said Bresler.
In addition to a new selection of snacks, the physical space has undergone a renovation, featuring uniform grey tiles and a reworked shelving arrangement designed to open up more space. Bresler weighed in on these changes, as well as the new prices.
“I feel like it’s definitely more spacious in terms of the space. There’s a lot more food options now… The prices are nothing too extravagant. I feel like a lot of places overcharge, but when you compare the prices in the den to the prices of other convenience stores, I feel like they align pretty well,” said Bresler.
Even with the numerous changes, students still have thoughts on possible points of improvement. Wang pointed to a few changes in the den he would like to see in the future.
“In terms of buying food in the Den, they’ve definitely made improvements. I think it’s a good direction they’re going in, but having more hot food available would be helpful… Especially more healthy foods. I think that’s definitely important, making sure students are not just eating junk food… Another thing I was kind of disappointed by is their selection of coconut water, because the one they have is not really that good… Also, just adding more options to everything. Perhaps sending out a form to students asking about what they want specifically,” said Wang.
Chris Jeong ’30 also weighed in on the Den’s prices, offering a slightly different take than Bresler, along with a suggestion of his own.
“Prices depend on what I’m getting, really. If I’m just grabbing a drink, I’m spending about $3 on it. I sometimes feel like the prices can get a little high. If I buy a lot of stuff, all of it is going to cost me… [The den could be improved in terms of] cleanliness sometimes. If I come in earlier in the day, it’s not that dirty. Then it gets pretty cluttered and messy really quickly. We could help out a lot by cleaning up our stuff,” said Jeong.
