On April 25, the student council revamped the Cartnivore’s menu while the school café temporarily closed from April 23, waiting for the appropriate architectural filing changes to be approved by the Seongnam Metropolitan Government (SMG). According to various HSSC members, the school café, which opened this winter, was immediately popular, ultimately leading to a drastic decline in Cartnivore sales. The HSSC, led by the Junior Class student council’s plans, began offering new items with hopes of reviving Cartnivore’s sales.
“While I used to buy from the Cartnivore before the school café opened, I rarely visit the Cartnivore nowadays,” said Tyler Hong (10). “The school café is obviously more accessible because it is open from the beginning of school hours to the end. Also, having the school café right next to the cafeteria helps because I automatically consider going into the school café after eating lunch. I think students are also attracted to the school café because it is still a new experience. We are used to what the Cartnivore offers, but the things that the school café offers is still relatively new to us.”
In the process of contracting Hanwha Hotels and Resorts, the school café faced licensing complications with the local government. The area where the café is currently located is currently registered as classroom space, and the SMG licensing department pointed out this discrepancy. The SMG ordered a suspension of café operations starting on April 23 until registration changes have been filed by Hanwha and approved by the government. During this time, Hanwha also announced plans to renovate the school café’s interior design. The company expects the renovation to take several weeks. During this time, the School Catering Committee invited students to submit ideas for the café’s new name. The SCC offered rewards up to 30,000 won worth of café credit.
“We are taking steps to improve the Cartnivore’s sales,” said William Seo (11), Junior Class treasurer. “The closing of the school café happened to coincide with the revamp of the Cartnivore. I think this will be our chance to increase our sales. Since the opening of the café, the Cartnivore never had long lines. However, all members of the HSSC are really happy that the long lines are back. We are all hopeful that this continues.”
The HSSC also intends to respond by improving its menu. To target customer interest while the school café is inactive, the HSSC will begin providing ice cream, hotdogs, and hot muffins by April 26. Also, the HSSC has been proactively making trips around the campus selling food during office hours. The third-floor location will be decorated to attract more customers. The HSSC hopes to regain its popularity and expected to further discuss solutions in the upcoming months.
“The HSSC is planning to increase Cartnivore sales by adding various new items,” said Minsung Kim (11), Junior Class secretary. “We are going to provide mocha ice cream, corn dogs, Freezies, and Nutella. The café resulted in a decrease in our sales, and I think the closing of the café will definitely boost our sales for the upcoming weeks. Many students will come back to the Cartnivore to buy snacks and drinks.”