Here at Cabrini, we have two options when it comes to getting a bite to eat. One is the cafeteria, also known as Cav’s Corner. The other is The Grill, commonly known as the “Cav Shack.” However, not all students here use the cafeteria.
Cav’s Corner
Cav’s Corner is also referred to as “the Caf.” The cafeteria is located on the first floor of Founders Hall. The cafeteria is fairly close to every dorm on campus other than the West and South dorms or the apartments, which are on the opposite side of campus. The greatest distance is about a five-minute walk to the cafeteria.
The cafeteria has three meal times. Breakfast is from 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Casual lunch is from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. On weekends, casual breakfast is from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and brunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Then, dinner is served from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hunter Waldron, sophomore business major, said, “The time slots aren’t convenient. The cafeteria should be open all day for students who have late practices and class all day and can’t make it.”
During breakfast hours, the meal is scrambled eggs with a choice of bacon or sausage, depending on the day, along with many sides like yogurt, fruit, bagels, muffins, and coffee. Lunch includes a main course meal that changes daily, along with a consistent serving of pizza, fries, hot dogs, and the typical American cuisine. Dinner offers the same choices plus a selection of ice cream. In terms of beverages, there are many fountain drinks, hot drinks, and water.
“I think that if Cabrini wanted to get more customers they should increase the variety of food options and not have the same things multiple times during the week,” Shane Phillips, sophomore business major, said.
Cafeteria time slots
Cabrini’s main time slot issue is dinner. Although three-and-a-half hours seems like plenty of time to come and eat, it clearly isn’t enough.
Many students have class in the afternoon during the dinner time slot, and when they get out of a late class, the first thing on their minds is usually food. Walking down from class after a long day with a growling stomach, and seeing the cafeteria doors locked is not a good feeling at all.
Christian Lane, freshman basketball player, said, “Sometimes I do not have time to eat when I get done with practice, so I have to go to The Grill or eat food from my dorm.”
Students often resort to The Grill, where some students say the food options are not great, or they eat food in their dorms. It becomes a financial issue when they end up having to spend money and order food from Uber Eats, GrubHub, or other means.
Room for improvement
Bad food, as well as little food variety, are two of the most common complaints. Longer hours, better food, and maybe a few more options every day would likely attract more students.
Rafael Gladden, cafeteria staff member, said, “One of the reasons why not everybody eats here is because we added ‘Meatless Monday’ and got rid of other previous meals.”
However, there are some who enjoy the cafeteria. “I think that during dinnertime, the Caf can get really full because people are hungry and they like to sit together. There are a few options that they can choose from, and if they want to go up and grab seconds if they’re still hungry they can do that as well,” Kenzi Eldabh, sophomore biology and predental major, said.
While the food at the cafeteria is plentiful, it is hard to say if we will ever see all of the students at Cabrini eating at the cafeteria on a regular basis without the needed improvements to attract students.
