Three sustainable dining student groups are cooking up plans for what could become Columbia’s first student-run co-op café.
Representatives from 4local, CoreFoods, and FeelGood CU are working on a formal proposal for a student-run “eatery and grocery” in Lerner Hall, which they plan to present to administrators in the next few weeks.
The café would unite the operations of the three student groups, selling 4local’s boxed meals, CoreFoods’ organic groceries, and FeelGood CU’s gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, among other products.
“We are close right now to completing what we feel are the necessary materials to present them with a strong case for what we’ve been doing,” said Josh Arky, CC ’13 and a member of 4local.
Arky said that discussions with administrators thus far have been limited and informal, but group members plan to set up an official meeting with administrators soon.
“We’ve approached particular administrators about it,” Arky said, “but I can’t definitively say who the decision maker is.”
They have yet to formally discuss the project with Victoria Dunn, director of Dining Services, who said she couldn’t comment because she had not yet heard about the project.
But Scott Wright, vice president of Student and Administrative Services, said in an email that he had heard of the groups’ interest in collaborating on the project and was aware of their outreach to Dunn.
The groups have also been circulating a petition online for students to express support for the co-op, which has been gaining signatures in the last week. Over 650 people, mostly Columbia students, have now signed the petition.
FeelGood member Lucy Sun, CC ’11 and a Spectator columnist, said that the groups created the petition so they could show the administration that students will support their endeavor before they formally present their plans.
“Something that really helps in making our case is to have student support,” she said.
As for the café itself, Arky and Sun confirmed that their ideal location would be the second floor of what is currently Ferris Booth, where the space would be open during mealtimes for dining and serve as a lounge available for meetings during other hours.
“Lerner already gets so much traffic,” Arky said, adding that Tasti D-Lite, an outside vendor, occupied the space several years ago.
But since they are hoping to use space occupied by Columbia Dining, the groups recognize the imperative of cooperating with the administration. Arky underscored the recent strides Columbia has made toward sustainable dining, such as the use of local fruits in dining halls.
“We’re not trying to make some sort of rebellion against the Columbia dining system,” Arky said. “In fact, we hope to be working with them in order to make this a reality.”
In an email, Wright wrote that his “hypothetical” advice for students interested in such a project “would be to first secure expert advice in compiling a realistic, comprehensive business plan; second, identify and secure the rights to a realistic location for the café.”
Sun said group members were aware of potential bureaucratic concerns, and that they are prepared for the logistical negotiations. She was optimistic, though, citing the “bureaucratic miracle” that is FeelGood CU’s existence.
“It took a long time, but we eventually worked through all the logistical issues,” she said, adding that each of the three groups is now independently profitable.
As representatives finalize the proposal and arrange to meet with administrators, the groups will continue to operate individually. They hope to have made concrete headway toward the café by the end of the semester.
“We’d like to be a one-stop, delicious, organic food café,” Sun said.
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