John Morgan Cafe opens at Med School

Medical School post-doctoral student Meng Chen has said goodbye to food trucks for a while. With the grand opening of the John Morgan Cafe, located in the basement of the John Morgan Building on Hamilton Walk, Chen and other Medical School students and faculty do not even have to leave the building to enjoy a quick lunch or breakfast. The long-awaited indoor eatery's opening yesterday was celebrated with multi-colored balloons -- and a lot of enthusiasm from the recently hired staff. Tables spread throughout the cozy cafe allow for customers to relax while grabbing a bite to eat anytime between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on a weekday, according to Lisa Buckley, the district manager for the John Morgan Cafe. The bright lighting and green-and-white checkered floor tiles are designed to provide an uplifting environment, she added. "In the past, the cafeteria that was here was dark and not spaced well," Buckley said. "Now, it's a nice, bright place to spend your time." Steve Wiesenthal, associate vice president of Architecture and Facilities Management for the University of Pennsylvania Health System, said discussions about opening a cafe had been going on for about two years. "We began to realize a while ago that we really needed to improve our dining facilities in the Medical Building," Wiesenthal said. "The actual design for the John Morgan Cafe did not come about until 1995." The previously existing cafeteria was scrapped, he said, explaining that the cafe offers an entirely new and modern approach to dining. "We would love to hear people's comments," he added. With funding from the Medical School and some help from University Dining Services, the project was launched at the end of July. After months of construction and planning, the John Morgan Cafe became a reality, Wiesenthal said. "It's been a real collaborative effort," said Skip Daino, district manager for the Canteen Corporation, which provides services to the new establishment. Daino also said that one of the special qualities of the cafe is that most of the food is brought in by successful, small vendors rather than large, generic ones. From the salad bar and fruit bar to the baked goods, deli and pizza counter, food at the John Morgan cafe is prepared daily, Daino explained. The cafe also offers a variety of interesting soda and coffee flavors to complement the variety of food items. "This is a big improvement," Chen said. "It's such a hassle to have to go outside. Now, we have something conveniently located in our building and it's inviting as well." Aisha Goss, a staff member in the Pharmacology Department, agreed. "I love the fact that the cafe is small, and personal," she said. "It gives me a chance to think without having people constantly in my space." The cafe is also sponsoring a raffle in honor of its grand opening. The first prize will be a microwave and the second prize is a pair of Philadelphia Flyers tickets. Several $15 gift certificates to the cafe will also be given away. "We would love to see the cafe become a real gathering place," Wiesenthal said. "Our goal is to promote camaraderie and collaboration among the students and faculty."