UFV has a number of cafés and fast food restaurants, especially on the Abbotsford Campus. Options like the Cascades Café, Tim Hortons, STREATS, and Fair Grounds Coffee are available for students, staff, and faculty to purchase a meal or coffee to go. However, many of these food services close early in the day, and there are limited options for students and staff in the evenings. The food services are also not open on Saturdays, which makes it a challenge for students to get the nourishment they need.
“Every time I go to Tim Hortons, there’s a sign saying that they have to close early or something. We even have to close early today just [because] people are sick right now,” said Piper Hornall, a barista at Fair Grounds. Hornall believes that there should be more food options available for students in the evenings because it is important to study with a full stomach.
The problem is that even when campus food services are able to stay open for their scheduled hours, the majority still close by 6 p.m. — leaving a portion of the student body underserved.
“I always pack something, and then the microwaves are available in the cafeteria. That’s pretty much the only option that I found for myself so far,” said Fair Grounds supervisor Nathan Williams, noting the lack of food options on campus for those taking night time courses. “There’s nothing really available for me to get there if I forget [food].” Both Williams and Hornall recommend that students pack their own food to bring to campus or utilize food delivery services.
But expanded options are on the horizon; The Cascades Café is reportedly going to become a two-level facility. Construction on the larger building is supposed to start in “early 2023” and end approximately a year later. After the project is finished, the renovated Cascades Café will be able to seat 350 people instead of 121.
Brian Creighton, Executive Chef at Dana Hospitality and the manager at both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses, confirmed that there will be more food options once the dining construction is completed, and that they will be open longer to accommodate the expanding resident population at UFV. “That’s where we get to figure out what we want to do,” said Creighton. “[With] more people coming in, we’re going to have to do some more offerings and staff different stations.”
The variety of foods that will be offered is still in the process of being finalized, and they will have a better idea of what options are feasible once the building of the new dining area is completed. Crieghton also mentioned that the Cascades Café will have “a few more extra tills that people can go through [with] cash instead of waiting in long line ups.”
While there are currently a few options that students and staff can choose from, such as Triple O’s, there’s little doubt that the students and staff of UFV are hungry for some expanded culinary offerings.
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
