The Naperville North Half Caf has temporarily closed due to high sugar levels in some menu items.
The amount of sugar exceeded federal school regulations. The Learning Commons coffee shop is scheduled to reopen on April 8. NNHS Principal Stephanie Posey said that before a reopening, the school must ensure the beverages are nutritionally balanced.
“I love that our coffee shop is completely student-led…I think we just have to be really clear that we have to stay under the sugar allowances for federal guidelines,” Posey said.
District 203 participates in the National School Lunch Program, which subsidizes lunches and other foods that follow strict nutritional guidelines. Since the district has switched food service providers from Aramark to OrganicLife, NNHS needed to conduct an audit to make sure all the guidelines were being met, Posey said. These regulations apply to all food sold on school grounds, including in the vending machines and at school fundraisers. The Half Caf is subject to these regulations, and it was discovered that some of the menu items, such as the popular Mango and Strawberry boba, have a sugar content higher than permitted.
Half Caf baristas, who are all NNHS students, were surprised by the sudden closure. Their main worry was that they would lose service hours; to their relief, their service hours would not be affected by the temporary closure. Senior Mae Adams, who has been a Half Caf barista for four semesters, says that the Half Caf has attempted to limit sugar levels by removing beverages like smoothies from the menu, but the responsibility ultimately falls on students to manage their dietary needs.
“I think we’re pretty upfront about it, and like we all acknowledge it…We’re not trying to hide any sugar. It’s simply a choice if students want to purchase the drink or not,” Adams said.
The Half Caf is beloved by many students at NNHS, especially for an extra pick-me-up throughout the day. Junior Kiya Odeh visits the Half Caf once a week and has been disappointed that her routine is disrupted. She believes that the coffee shop adds value to the environment of the Learning Commons, and anticipates its return.
“It’s a really fun part of the school, a lot of people really like it,” said Odeh.
