Update on Campus Group:Interview with Manager Joe

1) Do you eat the food you sell? Why or Why not?
- Yes I do, I am here from morning to afternoon and these are what available for me to eat. I am a very picky eater but I feel that the café has a variety of options to choose from. Large percentage of the salad bar, hot food which has at least one healthy option a day, and everything is made fresh from the kitchen nothing is processed.

2) If there were a farmers market near campus, would you be willing to work with them to bring fresh produce to the cafeteria?
- I would be willing to work with them, but fresh fruits and vegetables are delivered to the café every day. We get new fresh good vegetables every single day. But with Farmers market we would have to compare with what they give and the prices and what we get now. If it can work we would definitely go for it.

3) Would you be willing to implement some healthier cooking options like baking instead of frying?
- We bake, grill, broil, fry, steam, and etc. Frying is not our only way of cooking in the cafeteria, we do it all.

4) Will you be willing to exchange the sugary drinks in vending machines with lower sugar content juices and water?
- Has no problem as long as it is a Pepsi product. Pepsi has a contract with the school and the café and we use their products. So whatever they provide we sell.

5) Which sections of foods make the most money?
- The most popular is the grill station. The salad bar has some sort of popularity and so does the pizza and deli station.

6) If CCNY students voted on Healthier options would you implement what they voted on into the menu?
- Any request given for the menu has always been considered. Once a couple of students request it, we try it out and if it works we keep it going. Some students requested vegetarian options and on a daily basis we sell tofu and mashed vegetables and etc.

7) Would you be willing to make the healthy foods a reasonable price?
- No one bought the organic options items we used to have in the café because they felt it was too expensive, hence why they are no longer in the café. But we go by what price they give us. Organic food on a whole is expensive so it will be difficult to sell expensive food for cheap.


8) Food cart in front of the cafeteria with little packages of fruits, nuts, cheese and bread would be a nice suggestion don’t you think?
- I don’t think it’s necessary seeing that we had a grab and go section right in front of the café. We have packaged foods in the fridge that students use to just grab and go. Everything like stands, vending machines, and etc goes by traffic flow and clearance. School is paying someone to be at a station so if they are not selling or that vending machine is not selling it will be removed. But if the café would benefit from one being in front of the cafeteria outside, it wouldn’t be a problem.

*side note*
Vending machines in the towers consist of yogurt, granola bars, nuts, orange juice, and etc. One was in Shepherd but because no one purchased from there and everything expired it was removed. He told us we can keep in contact with him and if we find a space in Grove Engineering Building he will look into placing a healthy vending machine in there, so right now that’s our goal!!!!