Food is a huge part of the college experience. More specifically, it is a big part of the culture at historically Black universities. The transition into college already involves numerous sacrifices, such as not having a spacious bed or established routines and having to give up home-cooked meals.
N.C. A&T’s campus has two main cafeterias: Williams Dining Hall (the big cafe), located on the south side of campus, and MarketPlace (the mini cafe), in the student center.
There has been an ongoing debate about which is better.
“Although [the] big cafe has a more variety of options, I like the mini cafe better simply because of the energy and how welcomed I feel there,” said Makayla Morris-Roberts, a freshman accounting student. “Everyone looks like they enjoy their job, while the big cafe is rude and blunt with everything they do.”
It has reached a stage where parents of current A&T students use Facebook to voice their concerns about the treatment of students.
One user commented, “My son has complained of dining employees being rude and disrespectful for no reason at all.”
While the mini cafe excels in customer service and personality, the winner cannot be solely determined based on likability. It all comes down to the food.
“It honestly depends on the day. For fried chicken Fridays, Williams is definitely better,” Terrell Chapman, a senior mass media production student, said. “When your classes are in Crosby, it’s easier just to sneak out and get a break at the mini cafe, but overall, big cafe for sure.”
Most emphasized their love for fried chicken Fridays at Williams and fish Fridays at the mini cafe. Others exclaimed they enjoyed the gyros and the Jamaican chicken.
Many students also complain about the food and how it is handled between the two cafes.
“The mini cafe seems more fresh and up to date, with how they keep the food out,” said Avery, a sophomore pre-nursing student. “Williams [needs] fresher food and make sure the food is cooked because there have been too many run-ins with uncooked food. And maybe be a little cleaner, too.”
Everett Marshall, a student lead worker who has been a staff member at Marketplace for approximately a year, mentioned that if you visit after 8 p.m., they occasionally run out of food planned for the day, leading to quick and simple menu substitutions.
To help determine the final winner, we polled on social media by asking A&T students which cafe they preferred. Students had 24 hours to respond.
Finally, with 71 votes, it was determined that the mini was better than the big cafe, with a closing vote of 43-28.
