Category: Cafeteria

By Sofia Larribas & Jessica Palomares

Despite all the work that was completed to Pueblo High School’s cafeteria last summer, there were some residual remodeling projects; during winter break, the final details were added, including new tables and chairs.

In his continued efforts to improve archaic infrastructure at Pueblo, Principal Frank Rosthenhausler had applied for a grant and was awarded $225,000 and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to direct the funds to the cafeteria renovation project.

Rosthenhausler stated, “The idea of the renovation came about last year, I saw that there were areas that needed improvement.”

Rosthenhausler said, “We wanted to make the cafeteria look truly artistic, and the shades of orange chosen on the soft seating in the cafeteria also affect mood.”

Mr. Rosthenhausler found a West Coast designer, Ella, to come up with models for the new look.

“There are plans for a big TV to go in the cafeteria that was donated to us by Lapan Foundation, a generous organization that provides students with scholarships and mentorships, but other than that, the project is pretty much done,” Rosthenhausler stated.

Cafeteria employee Mr. Rafael Garcia thinks the cafeteria looks nice, but it is also harder to clean because of all the chairs because a lot of the kids move the chairs to other tables.

One cafeteria employee, Ms. Sonia Lopez, said, “I love the renovation, I think it looks beautiful.”

By Jose Nagore

Throughout much of the summer, Pueblo High School’s cafeteria was renovated, which has dramatically improved the atmosphere where hundreds of students gather for lunch each day. Even those who have been at PHS more than 30 years have said that nothing significant (except the mural on the north wall) has been done to the cafeteria during their tenure.

New renovations include new flooring, repainting, added padding to walls, new bathrooms, and new lighting. The $700,000 price tag for this prodigious project was paid for by grants—and money well spent on the cafeteria’s first “face-lift” in decades.

Students have been quick to evaluate the project.

“The cafeteria looks a lot cleaner than ever,” said Pueblo senior Jonas Vazquez, “It looks amazing, and I hope that students take better care of it all—and that means picking up after themselves every day instead of leaving everything a mess!”

“There is a lot more room on the tables,” said Pueblo sophomore Angelo Ortega. “We students get to hang out with more people during lunch now.”

Sophomore Magle Andrade said, “The [renovated] cafeteria is not as dark, which seems to really brighten our lunch time.”

Besides the impressive renovations, students have also noticed the food quality.

“[The food] is way better compared to last year, especially the pizza,” said Pueblo junior Israel Figueroa.

“I’ve noticed that we have a lot more variety in the food choices this school year,” said Pueblo junior Sebastian Marinval.

“The kids [last year] complained about the appearance and taste of the food,” said cafeteria worker Manuela Drum, “so a lot of what is on the menu this school year has been changed to satisfy students.”

According to PHS Principal Frank Rosthenhausler, there are still a few late additions to complete the cafeteria renovation project – including new furniture, bar-style tables, round tables, and even some sofas.

“The library was the first major overhaul at Pueblo, and now with the cafeteria near completion, we can focus on the next project—which will be new gym floors and bleachers,” he added.