By Dorisbeth Pena

Mercy College has revealed some major, vastly appreciated renovations to the Dobbs Ferry Café this fall.

The improvements focus on the quality and variety of food available to students, which most students feel is very important to campus living. It was designed to be a comfortable space for Mercy College students, alumni and friends to gather for dining, friendship and conversations.

With an emphasis on freshness and quality, the updated campus cafeteria aims to improve students’ diets, therefore making their academic life better. Now the cafeteria is a much bigger space, well organized, and is a faster, cleaner environment than it was last year.

The demands for a greater variety of food allowed the cafeteria staff to purchase a bigger steamer and better equipment to cook, claims one of the cooks.

They now offer healthy foods such as sushi, tofu dishes and seasonal salads. Menu items can now be altered by substituting unhealthy refined white sugars with nutrient rich whole wheat bread, pasta or wraps to help cut calories. Also available is brown rice, cooked vegetables and fresh salad bars with seasonal veggies. New healthy breakfast items include omelets, a cereal and fruit bar and fruit salads.

The cafeteria now offers a flat bread pizza, Sicilian pizza, different styles of pasta, and sauces along with the same fast food as previous years. Of course there are still many sweets and assortments of name brand chips.

“The cafeteria is a space to eat, catch a break and enjoy a meal before a class, after or on a lunch break,” says John DeRenzo, who works in the cafeteria.

The construction took about a month over the summer.

“I think it really met the wants and demands of our school,” he said.

The cost calculation of the new layout was not disclosed to the Impact, but it there are more employees hired for the new development, construction and menu execution.

On Oct. 4 in the the Daily News, Mercy College received headlines about its new cafeteria and its increasing enrollment.

“Response to renovations on the Dobbs Ferry campus has been just as positive. The cafeteria has been completely renovated, and an exciting new addition of a quiet study space in the library has been well received by students and faculty alike. Students are also looking forward to enjoying the brand new cafeteria as well as the updated menu.”

Students have shown their approval as well.

“I really like the quiet area; this is my first time here this semester, and I will be coming here a lot because it is a nice and quiet study-area,” junior Jaclyn Turturro told the Daily News.