Dining Services reimagined, revamped with new offerings

Whenever people leave their homes, they often face a perennial question: How’s the food where we're going? What’s available, and how expensive is it?

At Laramie County Community College, students, employees and visitors commonly spend hours or even their full days on campus. Dining is of paramount importance to many of these people. 

The campus and Laramie County community at large have long been buzzing about LCCC’s Dining Hall. But new offerings unveiled in August have elevated food and coffee options to an unprecedented level. 

A new coffee shop and snack hub called Cafe 1968 is offering top-quality beverages and food that keep students and employees fueled as they take on their busy days. For those moments where hunger must be addressed, Layers Bagel & Sandwich Co. — an offering with bagels, sandwiches, smoothies and more — has changed the game for campus diners. All of this with exceptional quality at competitive prices.

Cafe 1968

Cafe 1968, the revamped coffee shop and emporium, is different from its past iteration. Located next to the Dining Hall and themed around the year 1968 — when LCCC was established — the cafe offers not just all the snacks and premium coffee shop drinks one could want; it’s a place to have a seat, play a game, study, chat or whatever else a person might do while enjoying a refreshment. 

“I would describe it as a lot more open, airy and comfortable, with a much more welcoming atmosphere,” said Victoria LaPlante, shift lead at Cafe 1968. “It is super fun. Just seeing people sitting around playing with the board games and chatting and stuff — it makes it feel like a community.”

Victoria’s perspective is informed by more than her staff position at LCCC. She knows the student side, because she’s a graduate from LCCC’s Theatre Program. The Cheyenne native started working in dining services while still a student and has stayed on since finishing her academic journey at the LCCC. 

Cafe 1968, Victoria said, provides the kind of atmosphere that’s welcoming for students, employees and community members alike. The retro theme around the year 1968 means the cafe is opening the door to the past to enlighten the future, reminding visitors that the college has come a long way, but still has a lot of work to do.

“We're introducing our history into this part of campus, connecting to our roots,” Victoria said.  

It’s clear from the moment a patron walks into Cafe 1968 that it’s new, fresh and fun. Retro lights and seating and games take visitors back in time, while pictures of LCCC from decades past show the people who occupied campus before many visitors were born. Serving Starbucks coffee, all the lattes and blended beverages and other beloved drinkable amenities. Beverages can be paired with fresh-baked goods, deli sandwiches, the famous LCCC breakfast burritos or biscuits and gravy. The menu is fresh each day, meaning patrons are never bored with the offerings.

Layers Bagel & Sandwich Co.

A bagel shop implies that customers can get a bagel, probably toasted, with some cream cheese. But at Layers, the transcendent offerings give campus food that’s healthy, filling, affordable and fast. 

“It’s like proper food, but it’s fast food, as well,” said Daniel Gerber, a Layers staff member. “It’s ready fast, but it’s actual food. It’s not stuff that comes from a company with a whole bunch of preservatives in it. We slice our own meats and everything — all that fun stuff.” 

Layers, with its home in the Clay Pathfinder Building next to the bookstore, offers a huge variety of breakfast and lunch bagels made with fresh-sliced deli meat. Homemade flavored cream cheeses make a complete snack, while fresh fruit smoothies or juices, and freshly baked goods are made in-house. (Don't forget to try the signature bagel chips.) 

When it comes to the smoothies, Daniel said he’s not talking about fruit purees or concentrates like one might find at a fast-food restaurant. 

“It's all fresh fruit,” he said. “We make it with strawberries, bananas or blueberries, add some orange and cranberry juice, a little yogurt, and blend it up. It’s absolutely amazing.”

Jennifer Dorris is LCCC’s catering assistant and helps oversee the Layers operation. Knowing the value of having quality dining and beverages in a place like a college campus, Jennifer said she’s seeing the difference having Layers in the Pathfinder Building makes. With food drawing people to the location, they’re exploring resources on campus and having interactions that might not have been possible otherwise.  

“Now people are coming in and hanging out,” she said. “They can order through the GET APP, making it a quick and easy grab-and-go spot on campus. Or, they’re just sitting at the tables we’ve added while enjoying music. It’s really brought the building to life. Plus, it’s drawn students in, and they’ve discovered the bookstore, the Student Hub and everything else that’s there. It’s given a whole new energy to the space.”

Daniel’s primary purpose at LCCC is his role as a student in the Business & Accounting Pathway, with his sights set on transferring to the University of Wyoming after completing his associate degree. 

As a student employee, Daniel said working on campus is ideal, as it allows him to easily plan his work schedule around his classes and other academic commitments. Additionally, he said he appreciates being able to provide food service to the community. 

Food means community

Food service is a calling for Jennifer, harnessing her expertise in an environment that she finds fun and fulfilling. After working as a paralegal for nearly three decades, Jennifer decided to buy a bagel shop in Aurora.  

“I used to stop at a bagel shop every day on my way to work, and eventually, I ended up buying it and quitting my job at the law firm,” she said. “It’s a different life in food service.”

Whether she’s working in catering, providing food during events, or helping people get to class on time and well-fed through Layers, Jennifer knows she’s making a positive difference in people’s days. 

For Victoria, seeing familiar faces each day makes campus a place she wants to be. 

“I love seeing my regulars,” she said. “They brighten up my day. I swear, when they don't come in,  I have a worse day.” 

Creating an environment where people can be fed, get coffee and be happy while doing it is paramount for Dining Services Director Shawn Eby. Making sure Dining Services staff are treated exceptionally and guaranteeing exceptional service for patrons go hand-in-hand for the food service veteran. Feeding the community helps the people who are already here, Shawn said. Additionally, creating a culture that changes perceptions about the college plays a role in bringing more people to LCCC in the future. 

“We focused on giving exceptional service and creating a place where people wanted to come in, where my employees know the guests' names and talk to them,” Shawn said. “I always emphasized giving an extra degree of service, and I felt that if we did that, it would be our best marketing. I think it has been, because it’s turned into a whole word-of-mouth thing. And now, people come because we have good food, but they stay and tell others these aren’t your average college dining services offerings. It’s phenomenal and I think it even helps with enrollment.”

Jennifer said she knew she found the right job for her when she applied at LCCC. Today, she’s thriving and proud to be a part of the reimagined and ambitious ventures dining services is taking on through Layers and Cafe 1968. 

“The people I work with are young, vibrant and welcoming. That’s what you get a lot in food service — most people are happy to be there, and when you're eating, almost everybody’s happy,” she said. “That’s what keeps me coming back.”

GET APP is an online and mobile platform that can be used to order from Cafe 1968 and Layers for convenient pickup. It can be downloaded in Apple’s App Store and Google Play. A direct link to the download is available on the Dining Services page on LCCC’s website.