DeMatha Catholic High School is in the beginning stages of remodeling its cafeteria. This is the second project DeMatha has taken on since this year’s senior class set foot on campus for the first time in 2022. The first one was the Cross Center for arts, engineering, and robotics. One of the purposes for the cafeteria renovation is to make more space for the students, which will improve school life for students and staff making and make the space feel more welcoming and modern.
This project is really important to the students because this is where the primary location where students eat lunch and is also a place some hang out during free periods. Junior Junior Princeton Mosley said, “Having more space would be better because it would be less crowded especially closer to the lunch line.” While this renovation is happening to the cafeteria, students are still permitted to eat lunch there and go there during their free periods.
There have been some changes to the cafeteria before the renovation. For example Zest foods, who manages the school lunch, updated their payment process entering this school year in August. They made this change to provide a more user friendly experience for the students and parents.
The renovation for the cafeteria started in November. George Tapia, the manager of Zest, said, “This renovation will add 30 percent more space to the cafeteria.”
They’re estimating the renovation to be done around the end of the school year. The renovation is projected to take about six months, which would put the completion around May. If the renovation stays on track, returning students and the Class of 2030 will have a new-look Stag Café to enjoy next fall.
There are two significant changes planned for the cafeteria. The first is an addition of 30 percent more space. This will be a big change as students won’t feel as crowded while they eat, even with more tables and chairs added to fill in some of that extra space.
Junior Justin Parker says, “With the larger space and the addition of new tables, I won’t need to rush to find a table for me and my friends.” Charles “Tre” Mack adds, “Having more space to walk rather than trying to squeeze and fit in between chairs and people would be great for the cafeteria.”
The second change will be the lighting of the cafeteria. As the cafeteria gets larger there will be more lights added to compensate for all the new spacing, not to mention the plan for there to be more natural light coming from windows facing the senior parking lot. Junior Blake White is excited for this change “because it will help the students watch their surroundings and also watch where they’re stepping.”
DeMatha’s end goal is to support the faculty but most importantly the students’ daily life at school. The investments DeMatha puts into the school to make it top-notch will not be forgotten.
