PJ’s at The Kitchens? Sounds cool right? Once a month Student Involvement as well as The Kitchens turn the SSU cafeteria into a unique dining experience. This past Thursday the theme was Pajama Party Dinner. Students joined in on the experience by wearing their coziest bedtime attire.
Freshman Jaelyn Zachery and her friends were at The Kitchens enjoying the fun scenery and food. Zachery was asked by the STAR about her experience and spoke about how she really enjoyed going to these events once a month. Unique Dabbs also liked how the chefs could show the students their creative side. She thought it was nice to be able to come to The Kitchens after a long day, “[the themed days] creates a little community and bond with other students around here.”
The Kitchens make sure to create innovative foods for these special occasions. Scarlett Argueta said her favorite thing about coming was mostly to hang out and bond with her friends over food. She was also a big fan of the desserts and said she loved “making her own sandwiches because they’re bomb”
Staff member Gustavo Pimentel Perez noticed that these events had an impact on the way students interact with the dining hall. He explained that The Kitchens is meant to be an outlet for stress and he loves to see people take advantage of that. He said, “I enjoy seeing that for at least thirty minutes, they forget about homework, school and how hard college life can be.” Perez talked of how these events were The Kitchens’ attempts to give their meal plan holders a different dining experience at least once a month. He wants students to post these events on social media so that other students and future applicants see that the dining halls are meant to feel like home. He described The Caf as “not just a dining hall, but rather a dining room.” He also told the STAR that The Kitchens have an engagement team that takes care of putting up all of the decorations as well as running different social media platforms.
This Thursday’s evening menu included some of The Kitchens’ favorites as well as some specials. Slice served their regulars as well as s’mores pizzas, Chefs served an array of breakfast specials and Sizzle allowed you to design your own stir fry. Other favorites included Garden’s delicious salad bar, Passports taco bar and Flames Backyard Grill styled eats. On top of all of this was Baking Gone Wild with a wide array of cookies, cupcakes and Soft Serve Delights. The next event The Kitchens is hosting will be the “Out of This World Special Dinner” on April 20 from 4 until 7 p.m.
