We, the students/employees of the Pace University community, express our concerns regarding recent changes made to the university's cafe. While we acknowledge that Pace University has invested significant resources in renovating and optimizing the cafe, we believe that these efforts have fallen short of meeting the needs and expectations of the community.

Our primary concerns are as follows:

1. Limited Space and Long Wait Times / Accessibility Issues:

The new layout of the cafe has resulted in a small and cramped eating area, leading to discomfort for students. Additionally, the wait times for food have become unreasonably long, causing inconvenience and frustration.The ease of accessing food has diminished considerably. It has become increasingly challenging for students to obtain the meals they need in a timely manner. The limited amount of walk room between the tables and the food stands pose a risk for students with visible and invisible disabilities. 

2.Stressed Cafe Staff:

The current system has placed undue stress on the diligent cafe workers, who are struggling to cope with the overwhelming volume of orders. This not only affects their well-being but also leads to delays in serving customers.

There are instances where only two people are handling over 50 orders, which is an unmanageable workload and detrimental to the overall cafe experience. There are 13,609 students attending Pace, with a mere 30 employees servicing them.

 

3. Overwhelming Online Orders/ Loss of In-Person Ordering

The integration of third-party delivery services like Grubhub has introduced a flood of external orders, making it difficult for the cafe staff to keep up with the high demand. This influx of online orders has disrupted the efficient operation of the cafe.

The transition to online-only ordering has eliminated the option for students to place their food orders in real time, leading to a loss of the human interaction in the dining experience which causes additional confusion.

4.Loss of Human Connection:

Pace has moved into a robotic future, where (failed) efficiency is prioritized over human connection. The cafe staff, who were once able to interact with students on a more human level, are now unable to interact with students. 

5. Queue Length and Planning:

 To cope with the long queues for orders, students are now forced to pre-plan when ordering food. Previously, people were able to order on Grubhub or get their food made in real-time by standing in line. Now when ordering, your order automatically goes to the bottom of the Grubhub queue system has created an unfair burden on both students and staff. This has caused students to be late for class - waiting for their food. Or leaving their food after ordering because they have longer wait times. 

6.  Wasted Food:

Substantial amounts of food are going to waste in the cafe. This uneaten food represents a missed opportunity for charitable efforts, such as donating surplus meals to homeless shelters or redistributing it to students who may be experiencing food insecurity on campus. This issue not only results in unnecessary waste but also overlooks the potential to make a positive impact on the community.

7. Poor Customer Service by Managers:

 Students have reported instances of poor customer service by cafe managers who are unwilling to acknowledge that this new system has overloaded the workers. This lack of acknowledgment and support exacerbates the existing issues. Instead of ignoring employee and students' reasonable concerns, an effort should be made to change the issues mentioned. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

We, the students and staff, call upon the university administration to take immediate action to address these concerns and improve the cafe's operations. We are seeking a sustainable and actionable plan for improvements. We believe that the cafe should be a welcoming and efficient space where students and employees can enjoy their meals without unnecessary delays, stress, or poor customer service.

We urge Pace University to reconsider its current approach to the cafe and work towards a solution that prioritizes the needs and satisfaction of its students. We look forward to a positive response and timely improvements to enhance the dining experience at Pace University.