The Cage
2023-2024 DINING ADVENTURES
Dining services are a major part of campus life at St. Olaf College, serving thousands of meals each week to our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. We invite you to join us, experience great food, and share great company! Flip through these pages to learn more!
Stay Fresh
What are Emissions?
The food we eat every day is deeply connected to the environment, and its impact is profound: a third of all global greenhouse gas emissions can be linked to the food system. Learn more about the emissions in our food system.
11 Ways to Flip the Switch to Plants to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Flipping the switch from animal- to plant-based food can make a sizable impact on your daily carbon footprint – even for just one day! We’ve come up with eleven easy and delicious plant-based food switches to reduce carbon emissions during all three meals.
We’re Flipping the Switch to Plants this Earth Day
Join us in flipping the switch to plants this Earth Day by considering climate-friendly alternatives throughout our cafés. We will be providing scorecards so guests have the chance to track carbon emissions saved over the course of the day to encourage long-term switches and reduce our collective and individual carbon footprint!
10 Ways to Boost Flavor and Nutrition with Plants in Your Kitchen
Keep these strategies in mind to get the most flavor and nutrition from your produce.
Parmesan Honey-Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
With a little prep and a lot of love, this cauliflower “steak” will steal the center of the plate.
Plants Are For Everyone
When it comes to eating plants, it’s not all or nothing, so choose what works for you!
Celebrating Progress and Recognizing Continued Struggles for Farmworkers’ Rights
These food labels give meaningful insight into how the farmworkers who picked your food.
Looking Back on Bon Appétit’s Decades of Support for Farmworkers’ Rights
We’re proud of our legacy of leveraging our purchasing power and voice to demand better livelihoods for farmworkers in the United States.
Fifty Cents and the Fight for Farmworkers’ Rights
Farmworkers are exempt from basic labor protections despite working an essential and dangerous job.
Green Spinach and Ginger Smoothie
No green powders here – just fruits and vegetables that provide bright flavors, colors, and are full of nutrients.
Pills or Peas: Can The Foods We Eat Provide All Of The Nutrients That Our Bodies Need?
The benefits of getting your nutrients through whole foods versus supplements.
Celebrate National Nutrition Month® with Our Dietitian Dream Team
Toasting to our wellness team and their work to improve the health and well-being of our communities.
Garden Your Way to Good Health
Find your slice of green space and get your garden growing.
The Cage
- The Cage Served from 7:30 am - 8:00 pm
Weekly Schedule
- The Cage Mon-Fri, 7:30 am - 8:00 pm
- The Cage Sat-Sun, 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Located on the first floor of Buntrock Commons, The Cage offers various made-to-order menu options along with a variety of healthy, freshly-made grab and go items. Enjoy fair trade organic Peace coffee, house-made bakery items, multiple flavors of ice cream, and a vast array of bottled beverages.
The Cage
daily special
- reg.5.50
served from 11-3 or while supplies last
- reg.8.95
Menu Icon Legend
Bag Lunch Express
FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ORDERS
- Order 24 hours in advance.
- Pick-up in Stav between 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. the day before you need your bag lunch. If closed, please ask for a manager.
- Bag Lunch orders will take your lunch swipe for the day(s) that you have requested on the form.
Student Group Packouts
FOR DEPARTMENT ORDERS
- Order 72 hours in advance.
- Include dietary restrictions.
- Department & unit number are required.
- Disposable-ware is included.
- Pick-up at Buntrock Commons loading dock – call 3052 for assistance.
Food Recovery Verified
Bon Appétit at St. Olaf is fighting food waste and hunger by recovering surplus perishable food from our campus that would otherwise go to waste and donating it to people in need through the Area Learning Center.
Northfield Public School’s – Area Learning Center provides a positive, safe and structured learning environment with block scheduling. They offer independent study for students who are unable to attend during normal school hours and can complete coursework with minimal teacher direction. The Teen Parenting Program provides support, information and skill-building opportunities to expectant teens and teenage parents. With dual enrollment, students can be enrolled in the ALC and another school at the same time.
Learn more about the Food Recovery Network and Bon Appétit’s food recovery efforts
FOOD ALLERGIES
SERVING STUDENTS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES AND CELIAC DISEASE
The dining services team is well-trained in food allergy awareness and offer a number of options for students with food allergies and celiac disease. This includes communication about and modification to existing menu items, special preparation of menu items, and access to special products as agreed upon with students.
Daily menus for each café can be accessed at stolaf.cafebonappetit.com. Menu items that are appropriate options for most students with celiac disease are labeled as “made without gluten-containing ingredients” and can be filtered to streamline searching using the dietary preferences filter. Top-9 allergens are included in menu names and/or descriptions whenever possible. For more on eating with a food allergy in our café, visit this page and review our food allergy and celiac disease guide. Further questions about ingredients can be answered by our trained managers/chefs on-site.
DINING WITHOUT THE TOP-9
We understand that our guests with special dietary needs, albeit food allergies, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or any other medically necessary diet simply want a safe place to make food choices, quickly. To allow guests to have readily available options that meet their needs, we offer SimplyOASIS — a destination in Stav Hall where all meals are prepared without the use of top-9 allergens plus gluten through the sole use of whole foods.
For questions about these services or to request food allergy accommodations, students should contact:
Lionel Franks, General Manager
lionel.franks@cafebonappetit.com
Disability and Access (DAC)
dac@stolaf.edu
Eat Right — For You
Wellness
When it comes to wellness, Bon Appétit’s focus is on simple, delicious food — that happens to be good for you. To support long-term health, we are bringing more plants to menus every day in a craveable way, while emphasizing healthy cooking techniques. When healthy food tastes good, nourishing your body and mind becomes the easy choice.
Food Allergies
We serve thousands of guests with food allergies and sensitivities safely in our cafés every day. Our chefs, managers, and dietitians work closely with our food-allergic guests to create reasonable solutions to help them eat what they love. If you have questions about eating for your dietary needs in our cafés, reach out to us: we’ll gladly meet with you.
Sustainability
Wellness also includes the health of the animals, the workers, the community, and the Earth. They’re all connected. Bon Appétit has been committed to “food service for a sustainable future” for decades, and we’ve led the food service industry in tackling many important issues, such as cage-free eggs, antibiotics in animal production, and farmworker rights.
Tell Us What You Think
Common Questions
- I’ve been trying to eat a healthier diet. Will I be able to find a healthy food choice in my café?
- Can you tell me how many calories are in the foods in my café?
- How will you handle my concerns about a food allergy?