Name Change
Earlier this semester, the Global Cafe branch in the Humanitarian Building was renamed to "O Street Café" in a nod to the main campus's iconic address—37th and O St NW in the heart of Washington, DC.
The name change also comes with "an updated menu and updated branding around the cafeteria," according to an email from Amanda Look Sarmiento, Assistant Director of Auxiliary Services. This includes an expanded menu with additional meal offerings and daily specials, as well as an updated salad bar and à la carte menu. As a step towards a more environmentally-friendly campus, biodegradable containers and cutlery were also introduced in place of previously plastic ones.
Increase in Buffet Price
Some students, however, suggest that the new branding is a distraction from some new unpopular changes to the cafeteria this year. Paula Achim (SFS’23) complained to the Gazette that the increase in price for the full buffet, from QAR25 last year to QAR30, has forced many students to return to the QF dorm, where an identical buffet costs only QAR24.
In response to the concerns raised by students via the Gazette, the Office of Facilities Management (FM) explained in a November 18th email that the price increase is due to “inflation” and the expansion of the menu. FM also said that O Street Cafe has “larger portion size” and “higher quality” than the meal at HBKU and QF dorm. However, independent observation by the Gazette suggests that the portion size at the dorm is identical, if not bigger, than at O Street Cafe.
In the same email, FM confirms that price “is not going to reduce” and has released a “Did you know?” presentation with tips on how to “get the best bang for your buck.” O Street Cafe also encouraged students to confirm what the price will be before ordering since the pricing can be confusing at times. For example, for QAR23, you can choose “Combo 2” which consists of a salad and a main course. For the main course, however, you can only choose 1-2 hot buffet items; if you get more than that, you will be charged the full combo price of QAR30.
End of extended hours trial
For the past month, the cafeteria had experimented with new operating hours, closing at 8 pm instead of the usual 5 pm. Between 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., only "grab-and-go items, beverages, and made-to-order coffees” were served." In an email on December 1st, however, FM announced that O Street Cafe has ended its extended operating hours trial “due to insufficient sales” and will return to the normal operating hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Questions and concerns regarding the cafeteria can be directed to Amanda Look Sarmiento at al1352@georgetown.edu.
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