Algonquin College closes some food service stops on campus for the summer
Algonquin College is making budget-related changes for the summer term, including the closure of multiple food service locations.
One of the measures is the recent closure of the Bits and Bytes Café in T-building for this summer. Some students, such as Trabish Abhishek, feel the closure was necessary to save money for other parts of the school.
“It’s not worth it. If they increase the spending, they increase the fees we pay, and that’s a lot worse than walking to the food court,” says Abhishek.
Other students don’t enjoy taking time out of their already busy schedules to find food.
“I do a marathon just to get my lunch, and I only have a 30-minute break, so walking to the food court is not great,” says Aidan Mcculloch.
On Jan 9, Algonquin’s news site said that without cost reductions, the college anticipates a deficit of $60 million in revenue this year. Because of this, the school is taking multiple financial measures to address these serious issues.
The president of the school has offered ideas to ensure financial stability.
“To ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the college,” says Claude Brulé, “we are implementing mitigation measures immediately and taking decisive steps to reduce expenses, optimize resources and explore new revenue opportunities.”
On the other side of the college, the B–building has also closed the Portable Feast. The closest substitute for students to grab something to eat is now The Fix in the CA–building or Tim Hortons in A–building.
Evie Inman, a 19-year-old hairstyling student who takes their break in the B-building, is also unhappy with the closure.
“I used to get a coffee from here all time, but now I’ve got to go down to Timmies, and I hate their prices. I get why they closed it, but it’s annoying,” says Inman.
In addition to food services, the Connections Book Store and print shop on campus will also be changing their hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to the new 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The college’s website provides the updated hours of operation of campus services.
