Students who head to classes on Feb. 22 will not be returning to the same campus they remember from previous years as recognizable food businesses will have disappeared and been superseded by vending machines and food trucks.
Other local businesses will have undergone some changes too, due to the adoption of greater online presences or pandemic measures like the increased cleaning of merchandise.
City College recently announced that all students taking on-ground classes will be able to return to campus for classes and services in late-February, after nearly two years on lockdown. Food trucks and vending machines will become the primary options for on-campus food services, replacing previous vendors like Subway and EcoGrounds Coffee Bar. Meanwhile, other businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic and prepare for the increased traffic from students.
“Subway… and the cafeteria will not be open,” said Stephanie Smith, the interim business services supervisor for City College. “We are working with Canteen to get more vending in the cafeteria … and also we are working to get food trucks on campus.”
Canteen is a food servicing company that works in vending machines that offer healthier, fresher meals than the average unhealthy snack-only vending machine. City College expects to have Canteen vending machines and food trucks, Monday through Thursday, ready for the student populace on Feb. 22.
“We are doing our best to make sure that the campus is a safe environment for students … and we can’t wait to see the students back on campus,” Smith said.
Other food businesses located around City College prepare to withstand an influx of traffic as all on-ground students return from their nearly two year long uprooting from campus.
BBQ & Burgers Smokehouse on Sutterville Boulevard persisted through the pandemic without ever needing to shut its doors or lay off any employees, said owner Roberto Villeda, who has solely owned the business since 2019. “I was able to afford my employees thanks to the first round of the [Payment Protection Program] … so we invested all that money into our payroll and our outdoor improvements for dining.”
Villeda says his restaurant continued strongly during the pandemic due to its recent branching out to delivery apps like Postmates and DoorDash, and its new website.
“All the improvements that we do, it’s for the students, because that’s our market.” Villedo said. “We are always supporting the school.”
It’s not only local restaurants that are anticipating how the return of students will impact business, with supply stores facing this change as well.
The City College theater department works in conjunction with a local business called Broadway Costumes on Franklin Boulevard to provide resources, makeup kits and other costume materials to students. Larry Dockter, Broadway Costumes’ owner for the past eight years, says he is excited to see theater students in-person once again this spring and will ensure that they feel safe in his store, virus or not.
“All clothing, before it goes back on the floor, is washed, cleaned and sanitized. No different than pre-pandemic.” Dockter said.
While the effects of the pandemic slowed Broadway Costumes in the beginning, business looks to be back on the rise with the previous Halloween being a particularly prosperous period. “It could have been our best October ever,” Dockter said.
Larry Dockter and his wife, Deanna, have continued and will continue to keep their doors open to any student, theater or otherwise, looking for materials for performances and other ventures. “I retired from my state job and then took over about eight years ago and we’ve been having fun ever since.”
