For many students on campus, the cafeteria is the primary source of food. During breaks and lunches, the hallway can be found crowded with students waiting patiently for a bite to eat, and the inside seating is usually full of students during lunch, especially as students try to escape the weather this coming rainy season.
The breakfast bar offered by the cafeteria is no different, being widely utilized by Carmel High students. The cafeteria first introduced the service of breakfast before school on Jan. 5, per Denise McGregor, manager of the Food Service Department for CUSD.
“We serve our usual break menu items every day,” she explains. “In addition to those items, we [now] serve a full-course breakfast on Thursdays because of office hours.”
McGregor says that students have told her that they appreciate the cafeteria’s efforts.
“About 150 students use it,” explains sophomore Carson Coppinger, one of those students. “When I get to school and I’m really hungry, it always comes in the clutch.”
The cafeteria offers breakfast during breaks and lunches, and students can enjoy the convenience and availability of breakfast options throughout the entire school day.
Just a few of those options include egg muffins, bagels, cereal, scones, rolls, breakfast pizzas, French toast, bacon and more. Indeed, it is a vast array of choices for all student preferences.
Furthermore, the cafeteria has added coffee to the selection for students since Nov. 13. Often, students and faculty alike need a little coffee kickstart to get the day rolling. The cafeteria now provides that option, and its coffee has been received with some appreciation.
Coppinger explains that he doesn’t get the coffee that often, but does occasionally take advantage of the new item and enjoys that it is now provided. The addition of coffee to the menu will likely bring the cafeteria new customers and help increase use of the school’s facilities.
The idea for this new program was to help students with before-school options. McGregor explains that she started the breakfast bar to provide a location for students to get a meal and dodge the weather on cold, rainy days.
The cafeteria opens at 7:15 a.m. and is available until 7:40 every day except Thursdays, when it is open until 8:25 due to office hours.
While many students use the new service, its use varies from day to day. “We have served as many as 20, and as few as two,” McGregor remarks.
With their new selection, McGregor is hopeful: “I’m hoping more student will come take advantage of [the cafeteria] being open.”
-Evan Patel
