Behind the Scenes with FLIK Dining

Eric Roberts ’25, Lead Features Editor, Elona Spiewak '26, Assistant Features Editor

FLIK staff – the dedicated and welcoming unsung heroes of our campus community – work hard every day to fuel students, faculty, and staff alike. Although all Hopkins students benefit from the dining services and cafe on a daily basis, few Hilltoppers know many details about how their food arrives in their hands. From the energetic curly-fry chaos to special cafe items, FLIK staff help define the Hopkins community.

Chris Alfano, Director of Dining Services, notes that “every day, we are here at 7 a.m. to start getting ready for lunch service.” After the lunch waves end, the dining staff also enjoy the meals they work hard to prepare. Alfano mentions specific foods the FLIK staff find particularly tasty: “Our favorites range from General Tso’s Chicken, Cheeseburgers, Chicken Fried Rice, Fajitas, Pizza and Mac & Cheese!”

As many know, Wednesday lunch periods are akin to Gladiator battles: elbows are thrown, plates have to be hunted down, and food disappears in an instant. Alfano notes how “we go from having three dedicated lunch waves to only two.” The staff must serve “four [grades] plus any faculty and staff” all within an hour and a half. Despite these challenges, Alfano says, “After Wednesday the ‘hump day hurtle’ has been cleared...and it is back to three waves!”

Not only do FLIK staff have hundreds of mouths to feed, but they also prepare a large variety of options each

day. According to Alfano, every hot lunch includes an “entree with a starch and two vegetable sides...a vegetarian or vegan option, a made from scratch soup and steamed white rice, [and] a pasta station.”
In addition, the servery always offers “a full salad bar with house made dressings and a full deli featuring in house roasted turkey breast and roast beef, fresh grilled chicken and in house

made condiments.” Finally, Alfano notes the available “selection of hand fruit...for a quick healthy snack [and] infused water.”

In a time where digital transactions overshadow traditional cash payments, the Hopkins cafe is yet to ad-
just. On the topic of accepting digital payment methods in the cafe, Alfano shares, “I know this is always a big
question and there is a discussion about this happening soon. Perhaps in the future it can be a possibility.” Sean Smith, the beloved cafe operator, reveals that implementing either credit card payments or Apple Pay in the cafe has been a lasting struggle: “We’ve been trying to get cashless options, but as far as I know, [management] just says no.” Not only would digital methods make purchases easier for students, but also for Smith himself. He adds, “Personally, I would love [cashless payments] because it would cut down on the cash transactions I make.”

The cafe staff are both friendly and knowledgeable about the items the cafe has to offer. Terrell Tolson ’26 says, “The staff are really nice and helpful.” When asked which cafe foods are the most popular among students, Smith said, “Gushers, Trolli gummies, and the chocolate muffins.” He also revealed the backstory behind the chocolate muffins’ change in recipe: “We used to make them in house but now we get them from the same bakery we get a lot of our other stuff from.” The cafe has a wide variety of snack and drink options, but if Smith could add one more, he says that “breakfast burritos” would be his personal favorite.

Each day, FLIK staff work together to ensure Hilltoppers stay healthy by providing fresh, nourishing meals and cafe snacks, all with a smile. Jeet Bhatnagar ’25 says, “I really appreciate all the food options on campus.” Rebecca Spiewak ’27 believes, “FLIK’s hard work deserves more recognition.”

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Behind the Scenes with FLIK Dining