Lunchtime at Eastside School will soon take on a new look as the Board of Education has given the nod to upgrading the facility’s cafeteria.
“It will be like Irving College,” said director of nutrition Dr. Sandy Dawes, pointing to the wildly popular design used at the recently upgraded Irving College School. “The difference is that it will reflect Eastside and the community in its décor.”
The School Board authorized $81,353 to be used out of the food service budget to pay for the upgrades. Like Irving College, the dining area will include booths, bistro seating with tall tables, and art on the walls, making it look more like a restaurant than a school cafeteria.
“Some kids don’t get to go to a nice restaurant so this is like one,” Dawes said. “Our goal is to make it as nice as it can be for the kids.”
Dawes said the feedback was immediate from Irving College, from both students and parents.
“They said the food even tasted better,” Dawes told board members. “It was the same food.”
Along with making dining nicer at Eastside, the plan will also increase seating capacity by about 20 seats. The walls will also be upgraded with art and motivational phrases. While bulldogs will be included in the art, since the bulldog is Eastside’s mascot, Dawes said the lunchroom will not be oversaturated with them.
“It should be a place where students can go and reflect and enjoy their meal,” she said. “They don’t necessarily need sports all the time.”
Dawes laid out the design plan for the School Board, which voted unanimously to authorize the Eastside project.