By ROSSI SEALEY
Brooklyn College’s new food vendor, BK Campus Eats, unveiled a fresh new look and diverse menu at the college’s Boylan Hall cafeteria on August 26, fulfilling a pledge to transform the dining space into a hub where students can dine and socialize.
The cafeteria reopened to a full house of students, staff, and faculty, with newly painted walls featuring vibrant colors and designs of hamburgers, fresh fruit, coffee, and bagels.
“I was expecting the cafeteria to be dull and gray, but they really did put life into it,” said BC junior Theodora Ngjela.
The opening followed a prolonged shutdown, sparked by the loss of its former food vendor, Mangia Fresco, over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alan Gilbert, BC’s Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, announced the new dining partnership in a school-wide email in July. saying, “BK Campus Eats is a food service company with a proven track record across CUNY campuses, state institutions, and city locations.”
Ngjela, though, thought the cafeteria layout was not well organized. She ordered coffee but saw no indication as to where to go to pay.
Some students felt skeptical about what food options to expect due to limitations from the past cafeteria. Among those was Natalie Wu, President of the BC PHaM club, a senior.
“Honestly, when I heard the cafeteria was reopening, I didn’t have high expectations due to how it was in the past, not many food options, dietary restrictions, and not very affordable,” said Wu.
She noted that even though the cafeteria had just reopened, she was very impressed by the outcome.
Now BK Campus Eats offers a variety of dining options, including a hot-off-the-grill station with deli sandwiches, burgers, and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches.
“I was surprised to see many food options like sushi, onigiri, boba tea, and that’s pretty cool, especially for a college campus,” said Wu. “And since my go-to breakfast is the classic bacon cheese bagel, it was as if I was in a deli ordering food.”
A build-your-own-salad station and a range of international cuisines, such as Caribbean, Latin, Mediterranean, Italian, and South Asian options, and more.
Gilbert also pointed to the new cafeteria’s ability to make dietary accommodations, such as halal, glatt kosher, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
Additional food items include grab-and-go fruit and a coffee station, as well as shelving units stocked with snacks like chocolate, candies, packaged pastries, bread, granola bars, and more.
“I saw staff, faculty members, students; they looked ready to taste test and see if the food was good,” Ngjela.
Wu thought that prices were pretty average for New York. Khematie Rambharan, a BC senior, who was also content with the pricing.
“It makes getting coffee between classes much easier, I spent $4.90 on an iced latte, which was reasonable compared to outside prices,” said Rambharan.
During the closure of the cafeteria, the BC administration implemented alternative options, such as multiple outdoor food trucks on November 1, 2023, that have different rotating schedules across the campus.
Ngjela recalled that she had heard about the food trucks. “I would just hear from people that I know that go to BC say it’s annoying because they would have to go through catering, food trucks, and having to spend a lot of money just to eat,” said Ngjela.
Other options while the cafeteria was closed were two Farmer Fridge vending machines, which served the campus from the fall of 2023 to the present.
The administration was not alone in providing food options to the BC community while the cafeteria was closed; the students themselves took part. Wu is one of those who took part in the launch of the Community Fridge.
In the spring of 2024, the Brooklyn College Public Health and Medicine Club (PHaM) partnered with the Community Health Alliance of NYC (CHA NYC) to open a Community Fridge at 5129 Old Ingersoll. They collaborated with BC’s food pantry to provide free, accessible meals to the community.Switch to block editor
Wu recalled that she and the PHaM club were assisting in feeding the campus for three semesters and counting with the community fridge.
“Despite them opening up the cafeteria, I think it’s an important resource since it’s free and there are not many students, staff, and faculty that can afford to buy meals every day,” said Wu.
As students and faculty gather in the cafeteria, the space serves not only to eat or study, but also to build connections.
Dr. Ngoc Pham, Assistant Professor of Business Management at the Koppelman School of Business, sees the cafeteria as a hub of student activity to create meaningful connections. She dines with her current and former students there, adding a sense of community.
“It is campus life,” said Pham. “You want to see people your age, not only about classrooms and assignments, but to get to know one another, nothing is better than being in a comfortable, friendly environment with a seat, food, and a drink.”
Rambharan recounts her friendly experience with the cafeteria workers during her busy schedule.
“I made friends with the Trinidadian vendor who is very hype and inviting,” said Rambharan. “I just hope to see the cafeteria continue to function and serve the students of Brooklyn College,” said Rambharan. “It is always great to see investments being made for the students, especially CUNY.”