How Rollins College’s Tex-Mex concept won loyal fans with 'bussin'" meals

The most-popular retail dining spot on the Rollins College Florida campus is clearly Cornell Café, the Tex-Mex concept where tortillas are made by hand every day and special diets are easily accommodated.

At a juncture in college dining where streamlining, technology and even AI are entering the chat, Cornell Café is proudly harkening back to the old-school ways of Mexican comfort food. It’s located in the Cornell Sciences building on the north end of campus, and its busiest times of day are between noon and 2 p.m. and again between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“The food here is bussin’! It’s so good and the guac is delicious,” one student raved in a recent survey. Another student was impressed by the staff, especially, stating “the workers at Cornell Café are absolutely incredible and they work so hard every day.”

The hard work shines through in touches like the handmade tortillas, fresh fried tortilla bowls and chips, fresh sliced meats and veggies, and the signature pico de gallo and guacamole, each made from scratch. Students notice the attention to detail, and the concept has won a loyal following.

Fun limited-time offers every two weeks keep things interesting for customers, and have included warm churros, Buffalo chicken quesadillas, ceviche tacos and chicken tortilla soup.

Using a Chipotle-style assembly line, meals can be tailored to tastes with numerous configurations that can accommodate dietary preferences like vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free. Students order a lot of customizable quesadillas filled with not just cheese, but beans, chicken, guacamole or rice.

Sodexo Retail Manager Paolo Ruvolo has found that this model really suits the student or faculty member who is “looking for a healthy and hearty meal on the run,” he said, adding that the fresh tortillas are totally worth it. “The taste and smell of a house-made tortilla are unbeatable, and students love how fresh they are.”

Sodexo Retail Manager Paolo Ruvolo leverages students' love of Tex-Mex food and the need for grab-and-go nourishment. | Photo courtesy of Sodexo

From a labor standpoint, Tex-Mex is a good cuisine due to its simplicity.

“The flavors come from the freshness of the ingredients,” Ruvolo said, “so, the food prep and assembly are straightforward.”

New employees first train on the register to learn the menu. Then, they shadow senior cooks until they’ve mastered the process and begin to work independently during non-rush hours.

Ruvolo said that while mobile ordering is available, delivery is not currently a focus, and that’s intentional.

“Cornell Café doesn’t offer a delivery option because dining is an integral part of a residential liberal arts experience,” he said. “Getting students out of their rooms and into the community is an intentional aspect of our education model.”