Café Chez Vanier will close this September to save approximately $300,000 in direct costs and balance Food Services’ budget. To accommodate residence students who visit this restaurant, the hours of the Crocodile Grill located one floor below will be extended to include lunch, and the Market Place in the CAW Student Centre will also offer longer hours. Specific operating hours will be finalized in the weeks to come.
“A student committee was consulted during the decision-making process and they agreed with the direction the University had to take to save costs. This decision also allows Food Services to reserve funds for capital projects that will improve the student experience in the future,” said Holly Ward, chief communications officer. Upon its closure, the restaurant’s design will be reviewed to determine if a renovation could allow it to operate more efficiently.
“Unfortunately, this decision will close approximately 40 part-time positions out of a total of 207 part-time positions in Food Services across campus,” said Ward. “All full-time positions from Café Chez Vanier will be absorbed into other food outlets.”
This announcement from Food Services is part of a larger realignment exercise the entire campus is undertaking to find a total savings of $4.2 million from the University’s operating budget.
Currently, there are 1,300 students in residence across campus. Café Chez Vanier was designed to accommodate 1,800 residence students during the double cohort in 2003-2004, and it has not been restructured since that time. Approximately 750 students dine at Café Chez Vanier daily.