The New West cafeteria takes a lot of flak, but it also has some loyal customers.
So, is the cafeteria good eatin’ or just not worth it?

Why go to the cafeteria? css:

 

fu I’m starving. Where can I get decent food at a price that doesn’t gouge like the
gas pumps? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the Douglas College cafeteria. Wait a
minute, why should I go to the cafeteria? What do they provide that the Subway across the
street doesn’t?

Well, they have crappy sandwiches that I’ve never seen anybody eating. They
provide greasy hamburgers and fries prepared in an area that quite honestly makes the
McDonalds back room look like an exquisite French restaurant.

All of their food is overpriced, grossly so, and the actual cafeteria itself doesn’t
exactly inspire visions of buildings of higher learning. All of the bottled drinks are
ridiculously overpriced. The same with canned drinks and, well...just about everything you
buy there.

The staff at the cafeteria is nice enough, but man, does the selection ever suck.
They have a very unappealing salad bar, an under stocked ice cream freezer and an
assortment of unfulfilling pastries that cost more than an entire meal at some places.

What makes the cafeteria the last place I want to go when I’m hungry is that so
many places are much more cost effective, and can fill you up better and faster. Take Subway
for instance.

It’s directly across the street from Douglas and if you check it out on any given day
around noon it’s packed—quite unlike the school cafeteria. You can get better food for better

prices, so it practically eliminates the need for the cafeteria. If you don’t like sandwiches,
then the school has a bistro on the bottom floor. It has hot food besides hamburgers, like
pizza. While it’s still overpriced, it’s a much better option than its upstairs counterpart.

The selection in the bistro, which is much smaller than the cafeteria, is much more
diverse and the food is better prepared as well. The atmosphere is cozier, and it’s never as
crowded. If you want a decent meal and are short on time, you don’t have to leave the school
or go to the cafeteria. The bistro works just fine.

There are plenty of full sit-down restaurants just down the street from Douglas
as well if you’re willing to fork out a bit more money, such as Boston Pizza or the Old
Spaghetti Factory.

I honestly can’t think of any redeeming or positive things to say about the
cafeteria. There’s just no need to go the cafeteria. It’s boring, expensive, has a poor selection
and doesn’t measure up to any eateries close by.

Cafeteria keeps us fully satisfied... ....:..

EE the past year at Douglas I have heard plenty of students grumbling over the food at
our very own cafeteria. But the truth is, where else could you combine convenience and a
student budget in the Douglas community?

The cafeteria has some of the best selection along with affordable prices for the
downtown New West core. As an arts student on a tight budget, I find it easy to get a variety
of food with little fuss right on campus. Care for a stir fry? They have it! Fancy a cup of
coffee maybe? There’s a selection waiting for you. For those with early morning classes,
catch breakfast made exactly to your specifications, and if none of that rubs you the right
way, head downstairs for a slice of pizza or a custom-made sandwich at the deli. Still not
satisfied? How about our world famous spicy fries served at just $3 for a large box. Soups,
salads, you name it, they have it.

Amongst the large social eating area, visitors such as sheriffs and judges from the law
courts next door can usually be spotted pigging out on cheeseburgers or chicken strips. Our
food is preferred over other local eateries for our legal representative’s dining pleasure.
Unlike UBC’s student society building that has an A&W and a Tim Horton’s in it, the
Douglas New West campus has privately owned and operated eating facilities, and doesn’t
give in to corporate sponsorship. In a way, this is our version of fighting “The Man.”

Let’s say hypothetically though that Douglas had an A&W and a Tim Horton’s instead
of the cafeteria and downstairs deli. Where would you go for stir fry on campus? And what

about a cheap place to buy a more authentic burger, other than the tin-foil baked grease
sandwiches that A&W usually prepares. Then, think about the concourse; it would be littered
with Tim Horton’s wrappers and coffee cups much like the rest of New Westminster is.
Look, people, New West is a small place and if you really want A&W or Tim Horton’s, then
it’s all uphill from here. And if you plan to eat there religiously like some people do at the
cafeteria right now, then maybe the walk up 6" street would do you some good.

Some local restaurants offer special deals for Douglas college students such as Richman
restaurant on Agnes St. or the Old Spaghetti Factory right next to the sky train station. But
the amount of a deal given to students and combined with variety and convenience of food
is out shot by our cafeteria, and the appeal for both are limited to special occasions. This all
added on top of the fact that return customers are treated specially at the cafeteria and are
sometimes even given free drinks along with purchased meals. All the more reason to smile
at your server!

Let’s fight a capitalist take-over of our college and enjoy the food that we have provided
by our friendly cafeteria staff. I proudly make a dash to the cafeteria every day and pound
back some of my hard-loaned money’s worth in fries whenever I get a moment’s rest from
class.