March 28, 2024

BY ROB MENDONSA
Students at Doon campus, who are looking for a little more variety in their cafeteria menu, might want to try a little known place in the A-Wing called the Sanctuary, which has revamped its menu this year in hopes of drawing in new customers.
The new “Sizzler Menu” includes such items as a crispy chicken burger, southwest chicken wrap, burgers and fries, nachos and even a Halal burger (a 100 per cent beef burger made from a cow that is killed to meet strict Muslim dietary guidelines).
Along with the extensive Sizzler Menu, Pizza Pizza has expanded its menu this year to include Italian sandwiches such as meatball and veal, as well as chicken wings.
All these changes were designed to bring a greater variety and draw in students who want something different from the food in the main cafeteria, said Pernell Richards, operations manager at Chartwells Cafeteria Services, which manages all the food services on campus.
“CSI asked us to offer more variety, so we have tried to offer something for everyone,” Richards said.
Also available during the week is an extensive breakfast menu, which includes the traditional bacon and eggs, and students can come in and have anything off that menu at any time during the day.
According to Wendy Phillips, food services supervisor at the Sanctuary Cafeteria, there are also specials throughout the week, such as Thursdays which are “$2 days,” where a different food item is sold for $2 each week.
“On Tuesdays, as well as the bar being open and serving beer, we offer a “sample day” where students can come in and sample a different item off the menu each week,” said Phillips.
The stage at the Sanctuary is also home to live entertainment three days out of five, so that students can not only have a good meal but have a good laugh or hear some good music during their lunch or break.
“We have gotten a real good response from students, the only problem we’re facing right now is a lot of them didn’t even know we were here,” Richards said.
Students, when asked about the food, found the variety was good, but that it was suffering from the same problem as the main cafeteria, which is the high cost, especially with students being on a limited budget.
“The food was good and I liked the variety, but it’s a bit expensive, you can’t really afford to eat here all the time,” said Evan Perez, a first-year student in graphic design at Conestoga.
Putting the cost aside, the Sanctuary Cafeteria has made every effort, along with CSI, to have a little something for everyone.
“We want students to make suggestions on things they would like to see on the menu and we will make every effort to accommodate them,” said Richards.
The Sanctuary Cafeteria is open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.