At the start of winter quarter, Lathrop Cupboard Cafe joined the list of alternate dining options on campus. Located below the 24-hour study room, the new cafe offers a selection of wraps, paninis, salads, pizzas and other savory foods.

“We are going to do a lot more international flavors — heavily on Asian flavors,” executive chef Chona Piumarta said. “We’re doing great, exciting rice bowls with seasonal vegetables, a lot of fresh ingredients and a lot of vegan options, which I think the campus is really asking for.”

The cafe setup is similar to that of Olives: Food is ordered directly from the chefs, who then prepare it in view of the customers. Visual displays are provided for each menu item. Away from the food counter, coffee and other sides can be purchased.

While the cafe currently does not accept meal plan dollars, it is considering providing an alternative form of credit for students in the future.

Piumarta hopes that the cafe will bring a restaurant-quality dining experience, making it stand out from other options on campus.

“As far as setting us apart, we have a bakery in San Francisco, so all of our pastries come in fresh everyday,” Piumarta said. “Our croissants are hand-rolled; they aren’t machine-made or frozen when they come in.”

Piumarta also owns the Pastry Cupboard, a bakery in San Francisco. Customers at the Lathrop Cupboard Cafe can pre-order bakery food with one day’s notice.

The cafe has a large dining area with a variety of seating options. The lighting and blue-green color scheme creates a vibrant atmosphere despite its underground location, and the dining room itself is spacious but includes plenty of booths for privacy.

The current operating hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but will likely be expanded in the future.

 

Contact Jackson Milo Lallas at jlallas ‘at’ stanford.edu.