Campus Eats has temporarily replaced Aladdin as the college’s new food service provider for the fall 2025 semester.
Aladdin, the former food vendor that allowed students to select from a variety of designated food stations: a salad bar, pizza station, and burger station, has been the college’s full-time food provider since the spring of 2024.
The new change ultimately came down to finances.
Mark Flower, John Jay’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, explained that the college’s Auxiliary Service Corporation suffered $1.3 million in losses from Aladdin.
“They wanted to continue doing business, but we would have to pay $40,000 a month for food service, so we had to terminate the contract,” said Flower.
While the college searches for a permanent replacement for Aladdin, Campus Eats, which provides food service to Queens College, Brooklyn College, and Hunter College, will be serving food in the student dining hall and JJay’s Cafe.
Under Campus Eats, the dining hall now has a Boba tea station, “Tealicious,” where students can purchase bubble tea and desserts such as waffles and milkshakes, as well as a sandwich station and an alternating selection of hot food. Bakery items and drinks continue to be offered at the cafe.
Deli-style shelves, lined with a variety of snacks and granola bars, have also been added to the dining hall and JJ’s Cafe.
However, under the terms of the temporary contract, Campus Eats is not able to use the main kitchen to cook and is therefore transporting the cooked food from Hunter College.
Students seem to be welcoming the shift, even without an operating kitchen on-site.
Shantyel De León, a junior at the college, felt grateful for the change.
“It’s better than the other one,” she said. “The quality of food is better.”
Sophomore Michael Zhang shared a similar sentiment.
“There’s more variety,” he said. “The different selection of food is better.”
Junior Elizaveta Bakhtina, however, was not a fan of the food or the service.
“I visited the cafeteria around 2:30 p.m. and found that almost everything was closed except the hot grill, bubble tea bar, and some fridges—with no prices listed, which is frustrating for students on a budget,” she said. “Between the lack of clear pricing, the rude service, and the poor quality of food and drinks, my experience with the new cafeteria service was overwhelmingly negative.”
As students navigate the new food offerings in the cafeteria, they must also navigate the removal of the meal plan offered under Aladdin. The link to sign up for a meal plan with Aladdin has been taken down from the John Jay website.
Students who signed up for a meal plan with Aladdin for the fall semester will be refunded, said Flower.
