Cornell has gone green with Goldie’s, a new on-campus eatery that opened on Jan. 20. Cornell Dining said that this is their most environmentally friendly eatery yet.
Goldie’s, located within the new Physical Sciences building, is a product of Cornell Dining’s efforts to become more sustainable, said Ed Stinchcomb, associate director of Cornell Dining. Goldie’s is Cornell’s first location “to use virtually 100 percent biodegradable and compostable products and packaging,” he said.
The idea for this eatery was first presented about five years ago, when Cornell proposed plans for the Physical Sciences building. When Cornell Dining learned that part of the plan included an eatery, it presented a proposal to run the café, which was accepted by the University.
Because Goldie’s has been up and running for two weeks, Cornell Dining staff has been able to ensure that operations within the café were running smoothly for the start of classes on Jan. 24, according to Stinchcomb.
Meal choices at the café range from a line of signature sandwiches, such as the Pot Roast Melt and Italian Cruz Po’Boy, to popular products such as Starbucks Coffee, Freshtake Grab-n-Go products and Straight from the Oven fresh-baked goods.
Applied Engineering Physics major Luyu Zheng ’13, who has his AEP 4320 class in the Physical Sciences building, said he enjoyed visiting the eatery after his classes.
“The Physical Sciences building is very spacious, so there’s a large sitting area for students,” Zheng said. “However, I think that the ordering area within the café could be expanded.”
Raisa Razzaque ’13, who has a class in the adjoining Baker Laboratory building, decided to eat at Goldie’s after spotting the eatery through the doorway to the Physical Sciences building.
“I liked that it looked a lot like Mattins inside Duffield Hall. They both have great views and lots of open space,” Razzaque said. Mattins is another of Cornell Dining’s 32 eateries.
In the future, Cornell Dining plans to continue evaluating its current products and services.
“The food service industry is consistently evolving with new products and services entering the marketplace,” said Paula Amols, assistant director of Cornell Dining. “We will review any opportunities that present themselves and act on them if they make economic sense.”
Though Cornell Dining does not anticipate opening additional eateries at this time, it is currently planning to enter into a partnership with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences following the completion of Stocking Hall renovations. With a tentative opening date of Spring 2013, this partnership will provide additional food service to the ice cream service previously offered at the Dairy Bar.
Original Author: Cindy Huynh