New food options for students, faculty, and staff are set to be launched on the SUNY Jamestown Community College Cattaraugus County Campus.
A variety of fresh foods produced and packaged locally by Charlie’s restaurant in Cuba will be available starting in the fall semester inside the campus’ College Center cafe and Manufacturing Technology Institute at the Olean location.
Paula Snyder, campus executive director, said individual caterers had provided meals through lunch hours until the start of the pandemic in 2020.
“As we have updated our programs to accommodate our students’ ability to attend classes on our campus with mixed modalities of learning, we recognize that our students have busy lives outside of the classroom,” she said. “Many who are enrolled in our manufacturing and industrial courses may be coming to classes in evening hours and some right from their regular jobs.
“We want fresh foods available at all times in the building where their courses are taught later in the afternoon and evening. Students will also be able to get this fresh food in our College Center cafe throughout the day where you can sit with others and also work.”
Kevin Henzel, who runs Charlie’s and supplies similar high end vending options to 35 regional business locations, said his machines are stocked with a variety of foods. They include chicken and biscuits, casseroles, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, loaded mashed potatoes, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and fresh fruit and vegetables.
“It’s a long list of anything you can dream up,” Henzel said. “We have a new menu everyday. We prepare fresh food daily, six days a week.”
Prices range from $1.25 for fresh fruit and yogurt up to $4 for entrees. Henzel said food is good for up to seven days and tagged with a use by date.
Charlie’s delivers vending services for many Olean-area businesses. Clients include Sol Epoxy, Napoleon Engineering, HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care, Eaton, Pierce Steel, the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, along with others in Salamanca and Pennsylvania.
Snyder is planning a grand opening for the new meal service for the start of the fall semester. The event will include offerings of fresh food made by Charlie’s.
Fall semester classes begin on Aug. 21 at all JCC locations. Learn more at sunyjcc.edu/fall.