The kitchen is the heart of the home, so it’s no surprise that the Cypress Campus Center cafeteria is the hub of the Northwest Vista College campus.

As Gregory Lemon, cafeteria manager, says, “The world of food is an opportunity for communication.” Open from 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday and 7 am to 2 pm on Friday, the cafeteria is one of the most crowded areas with lots of smiles and satisfied customers.

An evolving menu that changes annually and options for vegetarians have helped the cafeteria feed its customers – 70 percent students and 30 percent employees.

The cafeteria uses a four-week cycle menu that can be accessed on the NVC website at the Food Services page. In addition, special requests are welcome, as the cafeteria is “not bound to the menu.” So if you would really like to eat veggie lasagna on an almost constant basis, then just let the staff know. Also, the cafeteria strives to accommodate individuals with food allergies, so inform the servers if you have an allergy.

The cafeteria also provides catering for campus-related events. The number of people that can be served in catering events is unlimited. Customers may specify the food to be served, ranging from large-scale pizza to full0course meals.

Gregory also says that food is not the only way that he and the cafeteria staff help the campus. Last semester, he volunteered to be in the water-dunking fundraiser. He said it was a worthwhile cause and was glad to have participated, even though he got sick for the following two weeks due to the repeated dunking.

Overall, Gregory views the cafeteria as a place to not only serve food, but to get to know the students. He can be regularly spotted talking with students. His goal is for all students to achieve success, especially through graduating and great grades. He tries to instill confidence in them when visiting with them.

“There’s nothing hard about being nice to one another” says Gregory.

But Gregory has one request from employees, “Trays belong to the cafeteria. I’m running out of food trays. So if you have any trays in your office or you see one kept out of place, please do return them back to the cafeteria!

By NVC Student Kimberly Redgate