A small café in the space between Olin-Sang and the new Mandel Center for the Humanities, aimed at students and professors who may not have time to walk down Rabb steps for food between classes, opened for business on Tuesday, Jan. 18, according to Marketing Manager for Dining Services Sarah Conduragis.Selling breakfast and lunch items such as coffee, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, cookies, scones and croissants, the café was built entirely over this past winter break, according to Conduragis. Food items can be purchased with a variety of payment forms, including meal plan equivalency, points, WhoCash, dining dollars, cash or credit.

Conduragis, who took the position of Marketing Manager for Dining Services at Brandeis in Oct. 2010, explained in a telephone interview with the Justice the reasoning behind putting the café inside of Olin-Sang.

"We knew that was a location that a lot of people had classes in, and we wanted to provide the convenience of having food options right there in between classes without having to walk to another location," she said.

"It's very new, but the feedback we have been hearing from students and faculty has been very positive because of the level of convenience it provides for them."

According to Conduragis, the decision to build the café in Olin-Sang is part of an ongoing effort to expand dining options on campus. "There is always a plan in place to continue to improve the service and the options available, whether that means new locations or concepts . and there are more additions being discussed."

Conduragis spoke about other changes in Dining Services that were implemented over break to increase convenience and overall dining pleasure for Brandeis students.

One such change was the decision to move Tortilla Fresca, one of the more popular food stations on campus, from the Usdan Café to the Usdan Boulevard.

"Because it is so popular and is in such high demand, we wanted to make sure it was open for extended hours," Conduragis said.

"By putting it in the Boulevard, it allows students and our customers to take advantage for longer hours."

For now, the new café in Olin-Sang will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, but Conduragis explained that its hours could increase in the future.

"It is a brand-new location, so we are certainly taking feedback and looking at trends to see where the rushes are, and if we need to extend hours it is something that could be discussed," said Conduragis.

Erica, who declined to give her last name, is a Dining Services employee who worked shifts during each of the first four days the café was open.

She said that all of the feedback she has received has been very positive.

"People are very happy about [the café] and everyone thinks it is a great addition to the building," said Erica. She said that the café is busiest between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., as students going between classes stop by for a snack. She also mentioned that several students have referred to the new café as "magical."

"It's nice to have another accessible food option on campus, and the food is pretty good," said Paul Goldshteyn '12.

Maya Baron '13 said of the new cafe, "Normally I would prefer Usdan, but in the cold weather I'm glad I don't have to walk over there.