The Cage
2024-2025 DINING ADVENTURES
2024-2025 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!
Stay Fresh
Mindful Moments – FFYWB
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s important to carve out time for mindful moments that nurture your well-being. Join us outside The Cage for a relaxing pause...
The Buzz: Bone Broth
Bone broth ─ a miracle superfood to help keep you well ─ or just another crock of soup?
The Buzz: Adaptogens
Are adaptogens the mystical medicinal tonic that can help support your immune system and reduce the effects of stress?
St. Olaf Holiday Cookie Walk
Put your hands together for our annual cookie walk! Buy an empty tin, walk through “cookie lane” and fill with your favorite holiday cookies. When: December 11-12, from 12:00-3:00...
The Buzz: Magnesium
Is magnesium the magical sleep aid that will result in more restful nights?
Savory Lentil Soup with Spinach
Filled with fiber and magnesium, this nutrient-packed soup is just the comfort food you need to get a good night’s rest.
Tossing and Turning
Paying attention to what you eat can help you stay in dreamland longer.
Staying Well During the Holiday Season
With a little planning and a few strategies, you can prioritize wellness this holiday season, so you don’t miss out on the festivities.
Ginger and Almond Flour Cookies In-A-Jar
Gift these flavorful cookies (baked or un-baked) to family, friends, teachers, or neighbors, this holiday season.
The Gift (Guide) of Health
‘Tis the season to show people that you care. Stress that message by giving them gifts that support their well-being.
Eat Fresh, Waste Less!
Use these tips to maximize your produce while minimizing waste in your kitchen.
Make-it-Yourself One-Pot Ramen
Warm and comforting, this one-pot ramen can be made with your holiday leftovers.
Upcycle Your Holiday Leftovers
Repurposing holiday foods is more than just a practical solution to leftovers; it’s a meaningful way to promote wellness and sustainability.
Exploring Indigenous Food Sovereignty
The food sovereignty movement relies on traditional knowledge systems that work in harmony with the land.
The Cage
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.
Upcoming Events
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 Pack-outs
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?