This story was originally published in Vol. 34, Issue 7 (April 2024)
The Cafe on campus, operated by independent contractor Canteen Vending Services, will most likely have its contract renewed this summer and remain the only option for food at WSU Vancouver.
The disappointing grab-and-go-style facility is the university’s only choice in the absence of feasibly self-sustaining alternatives, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Operations Jenny Chambers-Taube told the VanCougar on Friday, March 29.
“I have researched several options but none of them are interested in coming to campus because we do not have a large enough customer base,” said the vice chancellor, who oversees contracts with the university. “This includes food trucks, vendors to run a coffee shop in the Clark Building, and a hot vending machine company who [Associated Students of WSU Vancouver] Vice President Sam Crawford and I recently met with. I continue to look into options as I become aware of them.”
Significantly, all items in the Cafe will continue to show no prices until scanned at checkout.
“We are leasing them the space, and therefore, based on contractual best practices, we do not tell them how to run their business,” said Chambers-Taube. “But they are responsive to customer feedback. The space has information about how to submit input (QR code, email, phone). I encourage customers to contact Canteen directly so that their voices are heard.”
Her statement echoes that of Chancellor Mel Netzhammer, who in October 2023 said to The VanCougar that he thought there were some possible options that would be appealing to students, but the return of cafeteria-style operations serving hot food would take at least two years.
Students have had numerous complaints about the cafeteria: limited offerings, all prepackaged in refrigerated cases, to expensive pricing—a complete mystery at the time of selection because items bear no price tags. Many students bring lunch from home as an alternative or face the expensive and time-consuming option of driving off campus for better food, only to return to campus again later for their other classes or club activities. Faculty and administrators, meanwhile, are rarely seen at the Cafe.
The VanCougar editorialized in the March 2024 issue about WSU Vancouver’s shortcomings with the Cafe, calling it a disgrace and urging change to meet the basic needs of a commuter institution in which nutritious and affordable lunch is undeniably vital for academic success. The call to action was met with no response from WSU Vancouver administration, among them a few whom the VanCougar reached out to directly online and in-person for comment. Only Chambers-Taube replied to The VanCougar and made it clear that the Cafe would be here to stay.