The return of classes this fall semester at El Camino College brings a return of hungry students who may only have a few minutes to spare for a quick meal in between classes.
Patrons discovered some new options at Café Camino, one of two on-campus dining locations. The café, located next to the Humanities Building, revamped their menu with the inclusion of breakfast items along with some new and returning lunch options.
El Cappuccino, located next to the Bookstore, is the other on-campus dining option.
While this location did not add any new items it offers the familiarity of Starbucks beverages in their menu.
With new menu options available The Union went out to get the campus communities’ consensus on dining offered by El Camino.
17-year-old English major Joseph Barnes, from Torrance, says nothing caught his eye when he ordered his grilled cheese sandwich but still approves of the expansion. “It’s a good idea having a wider selection,” Barnes said.
Although he says the prices are fair, Barnes also wishes that the restaurant used better ingredients.
“I saw them put Kraft Singles in [the grilled cheese],” Barnes said.
Sharing his thoughts while waiting for his food sociology major Vincent Edralin, 19, said while there may be some new items he doesn’t believe the added options are a drastic change.
“The menu is not that different, they just added more ingredients to the food,” Edralin said.
Edralin got a bacon cheeseburger with fries adding that “the prices are pretty reasonable.”
Over at El Cappuccino, 18-year-old studio arts major Marc Anthony was sitting inside while drinking a Starbucks beverage. It was Anthony’s first week in college.
Citing his current unemployment, Anthony said he found the menu prices to be affordable and plans to get more food items in the future.
“It’s a nice snack to get in between classes,” Anthony said.
Of course it’s not just students who need to eat.
One regular Café Camino customer is William Carter, the ITS Director for El Camino. Carter’s favorite order is a BLT sandwich with avocado.
“The prices are good and the food is good, because it is convenient and fast,” Carter said.
While he’s a fan of the food Carter had one suggestion for Café Camino.
“I recommend that the café begin taking online orders,” Carter said.
However Café Camino employee Mario Guerrero said the location already offers the feature.
“Yes we do take online orders, and we even have the QR code for it posted on the front glass door of the café to do this,” Guerrero said.
Scanning the QR code, which is available throughout campus, leads to the website of Pacific Dining the parent catering company to both restaurants.
Through the link Café Camino offers its own webpage for online orders while El Cappuccino does not.
Fall 2023 Hours
Café Camino —————————–Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Closed Fridays.
El Cappuccino —————————Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Staff writers: Nick Geltz and Joseph Ramirez contributed to this story.
Editors: Eddy Cermeno and Raphael Richardson contributed to this story.
Editor’s Note: Corrected hours of operation for Café Camino for accuracy on Thursday, Sept 14, at 4:21 p.m
