The Westminster cafeteria is not just a place to grab a bite to eat; it influences where students hang out, how energized they feel, and the overarching student culture. When Hawkins Hall initially opened in the spring of 2020, Brewers Cafe became a hotspot for students seeking consistent, delicious sandwiches and wraps—unlike the hot food served in Malone. Located off the atrium of Hawkins Hall, the cafe was designed to relieve food service needs elsewhere on campus while also drawing students, faculty, and staff into the newly constructed building. Brewer Cafe brings people together in an already popular hangout space by allowing students to grab a bite to eat while they are there.
“The line at Hawkins is always extending out of the door during peak lunch hours, and the food is consistently decent,” junior Jerry Guo said. “There is usually at least one sandwich or wrap that I like.”
Despite Hawkins’s consistency, Malone’s space and hot food still provide a preferred environment for some students. “I prefer Malone; there are more places to sit with my friends, and I like the hot food there,” sophomore Rohan Anand said. “Most of my friends go there, too, so I prefer going there over Hawkins.” Malone also offers a yogurt bar, salads, sandwiches, soups, and a more comprehensive beverage selection than Hawkins.
Still, most students don’t have a strong preference between Hawkins and Malone. Ninth grader Dhruv Polsani describes his eating location preference as “a mix. Hawkins kind of has the same food every day, and Malone has different stuff. The food at Malone really impacts my decision about where to eat every day.” This opinion is shared by the vast majority of students, who rely on Hawkins for decent meals of sandwiches and wraps while opting for Malone’s menu when they like the food being served that particular day.
After getting food from the Brewer Cafe, most underclassmen eat on the first floor of Hawkins and out on Schoen Plaza; juniors sit on the second floor, also known as “Mawkins,” while seniors sit on the bottom floor of Campbell Hall, all very close to the cafe.
These seating arrangements are flexible, however, and many students sit wherever they want with their friends, creating a diverse atmosphere. “I sit on the third floor of Hawkins; I mostly like it because it’s quieter than the other floors if I need to get work done, and my friends also hang out there,” said sophomore Tommy Weng. “It’s much more spacious and less crowded up there, too, because most people are on the first two floors.”
Seniors, however, have the option to go off-campus for lunch. “Probably about once a week,” said senior Shailen Kadaba, regarding how often he eats off-campus. “I like the variety and quality of the food. I mostly go off-campus when I don’t like the food here. Like today, I was thinking about going out, but the lunch was pretty good, so I decided not to.”
After school, a long line forms at Brewer Cafe for “Happy Hour,” where various foods, from potato wedges to waffles to French fries, are sold. The line stretches exceptionally far back, beginning at 3:00 pm, making Hawkins a popular spot for studying, picking up food, or simply hanging out with friends before sports practice.
Both Hawkins and Malone’s dining services are provided by Flik, a hospitality food service group that prioritizes fresh, healthy, authentic, and seasonal ingredients. They have designed a custom meal plan for each location, ensuring students have a variety of nutrient-dense meals available to them, regardless of their food preferences.
“Hawkins only has sandwiches,” said director of dining services Jane Kees. “So there’s one hot sandwich, then two cold sandwiches, and a garden salad. We also make sure to include fan favorites, you know, to ensure that it’s something everyone is going to like.”
Furthermore, student culture is much bigger than just where students hang out and get food. “I think especially when we celebrate holidays like Diwali, or Yom Kippur, or Passover, it brings attention to everyone’s culture and hopefully encourages conversation because we try to tie the food to whatever the holiday celebration is,” said Kees.
Although Hawkins and Malone are the primary spots to get food on campus, other options exist that also draw students, such as the Guan Cafe in Barge Commons, which helps entice people to hang out and grab a bite there. The Guan Cafe offers a traditional cafe experience, similar to Starbucks, with hot drinks, cold beverages, sodas, pastries, and other foods. Despite its distance from the Hawkins/Campbell/Pressly area, the Guan Cafe ensures that students in Robinson and Barge can get food without walking across the entire campus.
The dining options at Westminster not only satisfy students’ hunger but also serve as social hubs, reinforcing connections among classes and strengthening the school community.
Edited by Selena Patel
