New Café looks for student feedback

Here’s some food for thought: Campuscafe dining services has opened up a new storefront in the SRC and is looking for feedback and suggestions from students on how they can improve their services. Armed with flatbread sandwiches, hot coffee and a keen business sense, Campuscafe President and CEO Manoj Barot is ready to bring a full fledged dining experience to GSC Oconee students.

Placing a hard emphasis on student feedback, Barot spoke on the goals of his new investment: “We would like the students to own this café,” adding that the café will “struggle to survive” without strong student support.

There have been complaints among the student body that the price of food at the café is too high and should be changed. While Barot and Jones are pushing for student suggestions, changes in price appear to be out of the question. However, Jones (a big fan of the café’s turkey croissants as well as its coffee) is confident that the pricing (which averages at about $5-$6 for a small meal) is fair and reasonable. “You would pay more down the street at Zaxby’s,” said Jones “and he has enough money already!”

Campuscafe, based in Atlanta, has provided food services to various schools around the state such as Georgia Perimeter College and Dalton State but in many ways their presence at GSCO is the biggest risk they have taken yet.

GSCO Business Services Director Mark Jones described investing in food services at GSCO as a “dice roll” after lamenting on talks between GSCO and Chik-Fil-A breaking down before they could make a deal. Eventually GSCO sent out an RFP (request for proposal) and Campuscafe was the first and only company to make a bid.

Barot described the level of commitment and confidence they have put into GSCO as “not typical” when compared to some of their other clients. The evidence is in the receipts; Campuscafe has provided their own serving license and build out with virtually no budgetary help from GSCO.

Campuscafe pays a high premium to be here and both Barot and Jones are hoping it pays off in the long run. “This is a moneymaker for the school” said Jones with Barot hoping that the café’s “state of the art sustainability” will ultimately lead to success.Jones helped arrange for Campuscafe’s arrival on campus and spoke highly of the company’s “high level of marketing and professionalism” adding that he appreciated that the café was “specifically aimed at students.”

Campuscafe has already had a “soft-open” for their new store with a grand opening planned for a later date. Once that happens, students should expect a bigger menu, special events, and other surprises throughout the semester. Barot is open to any and all suggestions as long as you don’t ask him to add French fries. “I have nowhere to fry the fries! Show me where to fry them and I will do it but right now I can’t do it, y’know?”