SAGBC looks to make changes to the vendors they bring on campus for students.
Returning students may notice some changes in food options at the Casa Loma (CL) and St. James (SJ) campuses.
Specifically, those who frequent the Student Association (SA) spaces may see the absence of INS Convenience at CL and INS Food at SJ. This is due to the vendors no longer being tenants with the SA.
Wafa Ulliyan, operations manager with the SA, says the organization will be looking to bring in new vendors as the year kicks off to fill the vacancies across both campuses.
“INS store at Casa Loma and INS Food at St. James have closed, and the reason is that they are not making enough sales to make their business viable. Those vendors rely on the students on campus for their sales and the in-person students’ population has fluctuated over the last years,” said Ulliyan. “The Student Association is currently seeking to contract pop-up food vendors for short-term rental opportunities. Vendors will have the option to rent space on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The goal of this initiative is to pilot a variety of culinary options within our student community and gather valuable feedback on food preferences and demand.”
This pop-up style program is being launched in the hopes of gaining insight on what culinary preferences the students of George Brown College (GBC) may have moving forward. Ulliyan also notes that the SA has been in contact with startGBC to find alum in the food industry who may want to bring their offerings on campus.
Once the SA has had a chance to bring in different vendors and see what the palates of students prefer, the plan will then be to shift toward more full-time lease. Once this is set to take place a request for proposal (RFP) process will take place.
In terms of choosing the vendors that will bring new and exciting cuisine to students, Ulliyan highlights the importance of bringing a “diverse selection of food options that are student-friendly, offer nutritional value, and remain affordable for our student community.” She adds that any business hoping to be selected as a vendor must undergo an application process which will include they “submit detailed information about their business, including their menu offerings, relevant licenses, health and safety compliance, food handling certification, proof of liability insurance, and other necessary documentation.”
In addition to bringing in food vendors, the SA offers spaces for vending spaces for retail shops as well. Student entrepreneurs from GBC are the ideal tenant as Ulliyan notes discounts are available for this particular group.
“The Student Association also offers vending space opportunities for pop-up retail shops featuring products that may be of interest to the student community. As part of this initiative, we are specifically looking to engage GBC student entrepreneurs—particularly those in programs such as Fashion or Jewellery—who may be interested in showcasing and selling their products on campus,” said. Ulliyan. “These student vendors would be eligible for discounted rental rates to support their business development and increase exposure within the college community.”
It may not just be vendors that will be changing as the year goes by. Ajani Miller, director of operations on the board of directors, says there are plans to renovate the SJ King’s Lounge, to make the space more suited for the students in these times.
“We see the economic factors affecting our students, and we’re the voice of the students. So, we see we share the same struggles. So, we see that we they don’t need to be spending that much money on campus. So, we’re looking to renovate the entire King’s Lounge. There’ll be more information coming out on that soon, but in that renovation, we’ll be keeping in mind that students really aren’t spending a lot on campus. So, we’re keeping in that in mind and bringing in other pop up shop, pop up vendors and other affordable vendors for our students will be the goal going forward,” said Miller.
