By Anna Balcarová
A morning cup of coffee, a croissant, a sandwich, or a smiling employee – on the surface, this is how one might experience the AUC canteen. But what’s the real story behind the counter? How is the canteen perceived by its employees? What is it actually like to work there? And what is the employees’ relationship with the rest of the AUC community?
In an interview for The Herring, Moustafa Ali, a former worker at the AUC Canteen, sheds light on these questions. Ali, primarily a mechanical design engineer at Pon Equipment, worked part-time at the UvA Kiosk on Roeterseiland Campus for around four months and spent the first half of April at the AUC canteen. As this interview took place on Ali’s last day at AUC, he opened up about the daily responsibilities and challenges of his work and voiced criticism. The interview was held in late April and has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Could you describe what a typical day at the AUC canteen looks like for you?
At the AUC canteen, I prepare sandwiches in the morning, handle cashier duties, and assist with beverage service. I also ensure all products are available by either refilling certain food or heating it up. The work varies a lot in terms of intensity. During peak times, it can be quite challenging. Every day when classes finish, around 15 or 20 students suddenly show up in the canteen and this can be difficult to manage, especially when there is only one person working. But with the beginning of a new class, it usually calms down, and we have a long break.
Do you notice any differences between the AUC and UvA canteen?
Yes, working at AUC is a little different from my previous experience at the UvA Roeterseiland Canteen. There, I mainly worked as a cashier and the job did not require much morning preparation. Sandwiches were supplied by an external company and delivered as ready to eat. Here at AUC, we have more responsibility. I usually need to come an hour before the canteen opens to prepare all of the food, mainly sandwiches.
Is there anything about the university canteens that needs improvement?
Yes, I believe that staffing levels could be more balanced. I think that it’s unfair that there’s often only one person working at the AUC canteen. This person is responsible for everything, from dishwashing to sandwich preparation and sales. At the UvA canteen where I worked before, there were usually three people managing tasks in a place that was much smaller and did not have a kitchen. I understand that at UvA it can be a little more crowded, but there’s also less work to do. Two people working at AUC, two people at UvA. That would be fair.
I also think that the prices at the canteen are quite high, especially for students. I am not entirely sure why this is the case, it’s possible that the overall expenses of running the canteen contribute to this. We also have a lot of waste and leftovers, because the food has to be fresh every day.
Therefore, another area for improvement in university canteens would be finding a solution for dealing with leftovers. Many sandwiches end up being thrown away and no one benefits from it. We may, for example, prepare around a hundred sandwiches in the morning and then, if we sell only eighty, we have to throw away twenty sandwiches. It would be nice if we could give the leftovers to those who need it, maybe homeless people or the students.
How often do you have leftovers?
Every day. I had to throw away a lot of food today.
Is there anything else you can do with the leftovers instead of throwing them away?
I asked the manager of the canteen if I could give some of the leftovers to the students, but she told me that if I do that, the students will not come at all and at the end of the day, they will ask for a sandwich. So it’s a little complicated. But still, for me, it’s better than throwing it, at least someone will eat it.
Sometimes I grab the sandwiches and give them to homeless people, but I don’t do that every time, as it depends on whether I find someone in need of food. It would be great if we could find a way to ensure that the leftover food doesn’t go to waste and instead benefits someone who needs it.
Do you have the possibility to engage in conversations with the students while working in the canteen?
Most of the time I communicate with the students in a very polite way and that’s it. All of the students are very kind, so my colleagues and I find it important to be kind to them as well.
Do you see a difference between AUC students and UvA students?
Well, I really like the people at AUC. I had the opportunity to take English and Dutch courses with Right2Education here at AUC, which allowed me to learn more about the students. I find them smart, ambitious, kind, and well-educated. And they are brave to spread awareness about the situation in Palestine. This level of active engagement is probably one of the main differences. At UvA, there were also many people who supported Palestine, but they did not speak up. AUC students are more active, and I find the protests to be, overall, a very important step, although I would advocate for less crazy forms of protesting.
Would you say that there is a competition between the canteen and the nearby SPAR?
Yes, to be honest, if I were a student, I would buy food outside of the AUC building, not in the canteen. It is expensive and the SPAR is only about 50 meters away, so it makes more sense to go there and buy anything you want for a lower price.
What’s the students’ favourite food at the canteen?
Definitely the Caprese sandwich. That’s the most popular food, both for AUC students and students from the UvA Roeterseiland Campus. The second most popular option is the Salmon sandwich. Additionally, many students enjoy having a croissant in the morning or buying different kinds of coffee throughout the day.
Do you have a favourite food at the canteen?
I don’t like sandwiches, and I personally prefer Arabic cuisine. But I like the pizza from the canteen, it’s very tasty. I don’t prepare it myself though. The pizzas come already prepared, I just put them in the oven, cut them into slices, fold them, and cover with foil.
The Herring 