Durham College’s north campus underwent many changes over the summer, including the demolition of the Simcoe Building and the creation of the Centre for Collaborative Education.
But not only were changes made to education, changes were also made to food services.
The addition of Booster Juice and a restaurant called The Grill House in the Student Centre have had an impact to student life on campus.
“It’s nice to see the energy back in the food services locations.”
Todd McKinnon, director of food service at Aramark Canada, said the revamping and addition of new food locations on campus have been well-received by students and faculty.
“[Business] is going very well. The new school year always presents challenges and we really don’t know what we’re going to be dealing with but it seems like everyone is having a great time,” said McKinnon.
He said food services on campus are either close to each other or in other buildings. Different locations, seasons, and hours bring different amounts of students. For example, McKinnon said more students go to Booster Juice in the summer months because of the cooler drinks.
When managing spread out staff and wait times, McKinnon said it’s “very dynamic.”
“Making sure we have the right labour at the right spots at the right times,” he said. “As we see it go weekend to weeks in we always manage to make the adjustment.”
Carregan Amos, a student in the Child and Youth Care program, said the food options on campus are appropriate.
“I think there’s a lot of options, especially between the university and the college,” said Amos. She also said the Booster Juice was “convenient and easy to get to.”
Some students compared the food services at DC to other colleges in Ontario. Jaime Chenette, a student in the Early Childhood Education Program, said DC’s food services, such as the Marketplace Cafeteria, are better than at other institutions.
“The cashiers are nicer, there’s a better selection. It’s kind of cheaper too,” said Chenette.
She said she’d like to see more healthier options on campus though. “Maybe more fruit and vegetables.”
