When students return to Archmere each fall, there is always chatter about new happenings on campus. This year, students were quick to notice changes made in the SLC regarding Archmere’s food provider, SAGE Dining Services.

Though SAGE dining usually garners positive reviews, last year students expressed some frustration with certain aspects of the dining program. Common complaints included the repetitiveness of meals and inconsistency of food quality. Mr. John Cirillo, Archmere’s director of Finance, cited the pandemic as responsible for these difficulties. “I think the pandemic really hurt the dining program,” said Mr. Cirillo, mentioning disruptions in supply chain, everyday irregularities, and economic challenges as contributing factors. 

Cirillo added that Archmere and SAGE wanted to improve dining services for the 2022-23 school year. “We had a conversation over the summer about how the pandemic hit sales within the dining program, and we wanted to revamp things,” he said. “Our dining program really took a hit, and this was our attempt to bring it back to where it was when it first started.”

Most of the changes were suggested by Mrs. Maureen Burns, Sage’s District Manager, and Mr. Jon Wilcher, Archmere’s new lead chef. Mrs. Burns suggested a push in student customization of lunches as well as the new streamlined lunch line that is currently in place in the SLC. Other changes include new meal options, including a daily special, a variety of grab-and-go snacks, and an updated do-it-yourself salad bar.

Overall, students seem to be happy with these updates. Many cite variety as the biggest improvement to the dining service this year. “I think SAGE does a good job of making sure there are always options for students to choose from. This way, there’s always at least one dish that appeals to people,” said Chloe Li ‘26. “SAGE provides a large amount of options to choose from as well as a healthy menu,” added Ben Zakielarz ‘23.

Students also complimented SAGE’s high quality of service. “All the workers are very nice,” said Leah Boyer ‘24. “The service is better than any other year I’ve been here,” commented Alex Starnes ‘23.

While students are impressed with the quality and service of SAGE, many have expressed frustration with the pricing. “I like the variety, but the food can be really expensive,” said Isabella Sanchez ‘25. 

Ultimately, students and faculty alike are pleased with the changes made to SAGE this year, and Archmere is happy to have SAGE dining as part of the school community. The feeling appears to be mutual: new SAGE Chef Jon Wilcher said, “Our main focus for now and moving forward is you guys. The goal is to send every kid home fed and happy every day that they are in school.”