By CSULB’s Housing and Residential Life officials recently opened CHillside Café, a late-night dining option located on the ground floor of the Los Alamitos building for residents in the Hillside dorms.
Corry Colonna, executive director of housing and residential life, said the café business originated from an unsuccessful coffee shop idea that would’ve been built in the Hillside and Parkside dorms.
“The coffee shops didn’t have the right ventilation to cook food,” Colonna said. “So when we renovated the area, we put in the right type of equipment to be able to cook food.”
Colonna also said he discussed the late-night café process with Alfredo Macias, CSULB director of residential dining for about three years. Now with the official grand opening, the two are accepting student input and making necessary adjustments.
A line forms at the late-night CHillside Café in the Hillside dorms. Photo credit: Vincent Medina
“We start reaching out to students for days and hours of operation, menu items and go from there to solidify the operation,” Macias said.
CHillside Café’s menu consists of several baked items such as pizza, nachos, pretzels, and beverages such as a Starbucks frappuccino and Pepsi.
During opening night, the café had 117 customers.
“The restaurant’s late hours should help students employees who have courses or obligations during the day who wouldn’t have any other time to work,” Colonna said.
Nico Scholz, a first-year pre-kinesiology major is a Hillside dorm resident and said these later hours work better for his school schedule.
“My classes start a bit later in the day and a lot of [my] time goes into homework,” Scholz said. “My hours are later but It’s perfect because I get to do homework before and after work.”
Nachos and freshly-baked pizza are available at the CHillside Café. Photo credit: Vincent Medina
Thomas McSwain, a fourth-year computer science major and Hillside dorm resident said the cafe’s late hours have helped him get a late-night meal.
“Normally, I have to get on my skateboard and go to the 7-Eleven if I want anything late at night,” McSwain said. “It’s a good exercise, but it’s far. I prefer having something here.”
CHillside Café staff supervisor, Patricia Arredondo said the restaurant is trying to receive feedback from students so additional items can be added to the menu.
“I know we are going to get requests for vegan or gluten-free options,” Arredondo said. “People usually ask for pizza or cookies.”
CHillside Café is open Monday to Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. For more information on CHillside Café, visit their website.
