Parkhurst Dining staff respond to student Caf complaints
James Ryan Prizant ’29
prizantjry@lakeforest.edu
Copy Editor
In a poll of 115 College students, over three-fourths of respondents wanted food changes, whether in quality, flavor or selection. Among respondents who were asked one thing they would improve or change about the cafeteria, 42% expressed dissatisfaction with the quality and flavor of the food, while 40% called for greater variety, with some specifically requesting more halal, vegan or vegetarian protein options.
A typical weekday morning’s offerings include oatmeal, bagels or scrambled eggs with sausage and bacon at breakfast. Lunch and dinner have pizza, two soups, a fruit bar, a salad bar, a sandwich bar and multiple entrée options at the stations labeled “The Grill” and “Inspired Eats,” with vegan and vegetarian options at the “V2” station.
Niche gave the College a B– campus food rating. Student reviews and the cost of the meal plan, costing $6,725 per year, were the determining factors of this grade. Additionally, Niche states that 40% of students highly rate the College’s dining facilities.
The cafeteria is an important place for College students, as it is not just the only dining hall on campus, but options for food outside the cafeteria are severely limited. There is always the option for a sandwich at Boomer’s, but lines get long, machines break and meal swipes are only accepted at specific times.
The only other options are the Market, which sells only cold and pre-packaged food, or the three cafés at the library, SRC and Deerpath Hall. However, none of them take meal swipes, and the latter two sit at the very edges of South Campus and North Campus, respectively. Not to mention, Deerpath Cafe is only open from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. each day, according to Lake Forest College.
One recurring problem is seemingly undercooked meat, specifically chicken. According to the poll, 10% of all respondents wanted their chicken to be cooked more thoroughly, noting pink insides. Some students worry about illness from cafeteria food, including first-year Daniela Bermea, who said she received food poisoning she blames on the food.
“I ate [the chicken] and…automatically needed to go to the restroom because my stomach was hurting so bad,” Bermea said. “I threw up….my energy too, it was depleted. I wasn’t able to consume a lot of food during dinner [afterward]…and the next day…I did not attend classes.
Bermea would go on to say that her biggest complaint about the cafeteria was undercooked chicken.
However, many of the cafeteria’s problems may be more easily solvable than students realize, if they even exist at all. For example, pink chicken may not necessarily mean that the chicken is undercooked.
“Pink chicken actually comes from many different things,” Parkhurst Representative for Student Government Jacob Shternberg said. “If there’s a vein in the chicken, sometimes it comes out pink, even though it is fully cooked [for example]. When students bring this up to me, I explain this as best as I can. There will always be rumors, but from what I know, [they’re] just that. Whether it then makes [students] sick, I have no idea. The chicken should always be fully cooked.”
Frank Vitucci, the general manager of Parkhurst Dining at the College, as well as Executive Chef Nicholas Saponaro, concur with this claim.
Additionally, students with complaints, suggestions or requests can speak to Parhurst staff through many mediums. For example, students with severe dietary restrictions can speak to Vitucci about receiving specialized meals. (The process of accepting such requests is handled by the College through Accessibility Services within academic support.) Vitucci stated that “approximately six students” from the fall 2025-26 semester have received such meals, and that these meals are provided to students who pay for them in the cafeteria (via meal swipes, Boomer Bucks, etc).
“Individuals with food restrictions can always go to Frank [and] set up a meeting with him,” Shternberg said. “Parkhurst will be happy to change things up for them.”
Shternberg, Vitucci and Saponaro also encourage students to provide statements via comment cards (physical and digital), found just past the cafeteria entrance.
Vitucci stated that “virtual comment cards are reviewed as they are submitted,” and that “physical comment cards are reviewed weekly.” He added, “In most cases, a response and the action taken are handwritten on the card and displayed,” with the handwriting and displaying being done in the cafeteria by Marketing Coordinator Maya Villegas.
Vitucci also added that a multitude of smaller-scale student-made requests have led to changes in the cafeteria. These include more sauce and condiment options, gluten-free desserts, and even updated recipes and alternative proteins at the vegetarian and vegan-friendly “V2” station.
“Ninety-nine percent of the [requested] changes, we’ve already made,” he said.
In the meantime, students like senior Gota Akigiri say they will enjoy what the cafeteria has to offer.
“I like it, because they always provide a little variety of food, and then I really enjoy it,” Akigiri said. “They usually have very fresh stuff, and most of the food is very warm; I think it’s decent.”
To contact a member of the Parkhurst staff:
- Jacob Shternberg – shternbergjy@lakeforest.edu
- Frank Vitucci – fvitucci@lakeforest.edu
- Nicholas Saponaro – nsaponaro@parkhurstdining.com