School District Closes Student-Run Cafe

Contra Costa (CA) Schools is closing a popular student-run café that has traditionally outsold the cafeteria at the district’s Monte Vista High School in Danville, reports the Contra Costa Times. The Monte Vista Culinary Academy, which teaches students about the various aspects of operating a foodservice program, sells about a hundred lunch meals a day, which is generally more than the cafeteria, even though the latter has more variety and costs about a dollar less on average (around $4 versus $5 at the Culinary Academy).

District officials cite the need to exert more control over the nutritional content of in-school meals as well as the need to generate more revenues from the cafeteria to keep it self-sustaining. The Culinary Academy menu includes selections such as organic tomato and basil pizza, sushi, sandwiches and burritos from name-brand chains, along with drinks and snacks. The Academy’s popular program, which instructs students in areas such as food safety and basic cooking techniques, will continue after the café closes in January.