As part of the east side renovations, a new cafe bar is now open to students and staff from 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on school days, providing breakfast and lunch foods.

The cafe is located on the second floor of the new east wing, across from gym E243. There are tables and sitting areas nearby for students to use.

John Stavropoulos, a Quest foods employee who works at the cafe, said that it is busy all throughout the school day. Students seem to be enjoying the new wing as a place to spend free time, study, practice athletics, and most importantly, eat.

“The refreshers are the most popular,” Stavropoulos said. “I think the main benefit is just having more options.”

Natashia Miles, another QuestFoods employee who works at the cafe, believes the busiest time to be during the lunch periods as many students have started to purchase lunch there instead of the cafeteria.

“I think that the convenience and variety are definitely the main benefits of the cafe,” Miles said.

This new addition is a part of the school’s continued efforts to listen to students’ needs. More food and drink options, along with additional seating during free periods, are just some of its benefits.

Students had similar ideas about the cafe. Sophomore Lucie Kolot agreed that it’s a way to decrease lines in the cafeteria and at vending machines. “The lines for the cafe were kind of long, but they moved fast and the tea was worth it,” she said.

Sophomore Sai Isha Swaminathan said she has also purchased from the cafe several times this year.

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“It has a very nice ambiance, and I would definitely go there instead of the cafeteria again,” Swaminathan said.

She believes that by adding this cafe, New Trier is encouraging students to eat breakfast and making it more accessible for them.
Swaminathan recommended the chocolate croissants and mango smoothies but complained that the costs were higher than expected.

Though the cafe is one of three main food and drink options inside New Trier’s Winnetka campus (alongside the Brew Crew coffee station and the cafeteria), it has several competitors nearby. Many students enter the building before advisery with a Starbucks cup in hand. Soon, they may also be arriving with a Tala Coffee drink, which is a new location opening on Green Bay Road and Winnetka Avenue.

Even so, sourcing their coffee, smoothies, or croissants from inside New Trier has significant advantages for students. For one, being able to walk from the east side café to advisery in minutes trumps walking or driving from a coffee shop to the school.

Price is also a considerable factor, as the cafe’s drinks are generally cheaper than other popular beverages. A grande refresher from Starbucks, for example, costs $6, whereas a smoothie from the café costs $4.35.

Compared to the cafeteria, the cafe is sort of a bite-sized version. Though students can purchase some lunch foods that are also available in the cafeteria, its main focus is on snacks, drinks, and breakfast foods. It offers foods and drinks that aren’t available at the cafeteria, such as its popular mango, peach, and hibiscus refreshers.

The cafe is an exciting new addition to New Trier’s Winnetka campus, providing students with energy for their school day and extracurricular activities.