Naperville Central faculty continue to lack the option to purchase staff-only food options, as District 203’s food service provider, OrganicLife, announced it does not intend to reinstate the practice. Central staff can still get food in the main cafeteria and coffee shop, alongside students.
The announcement comes as the food service provider replaced Central’s old faculty cafeteria with Big Shoulders Coffee shop, a change spearheaded by Principal Jackie Thornton and Carrie McFadden, Assistant Principal of Operations.
“At the moment, there are no plans in the works,” OrganicLife wrote in a statement to the Central Times. “We are currently excited for the new school year and focused on building participation in both the coffee shop and school cafeteria that is available for all staff and students.”
Under Aramark, District 203’s previous food service provider, the faculty cafeteria served a variety of lunch options that Central staff could purchase. OrganicLife discontinued faculty lunches last year after becoming District 203’s food service provider in July 2023.
“I’ve been here 30 years and there was always a faculty caf,” McFadden said. “Our faculty cafeteria wasn’t really a faculty cafeteria because when OrganicLife [became] our new food service provider, they only made lunch [for] the students.”
McFadden brought up the lack of faculty-only lunches to OrganicLife.
“At one point I talked to one of the people involved and I said ‘are we going to start serving our staff anytime soon?’” McFadden said. “She looks at me and she [said] ‘did that used to happen?’”
Big Shoulders Coffee—which replaced the faculty cafeteria—has received mixed reviews from staff.
“I haven’t even visited the new coffee shop,” French teacher Jeremy Whitt said. “Somebody told me it was crazy expensive. I make coffee at home and that’s the only coffee I drink, so it hasn’t really affected me.”
Vanshika Shahdadpuri contributed to this story.
