It’s been more than a year ago, but many DMS students still miss the a la carte line in the cafeteria.
A la carte, which is French for “separate from the menu,” was a stand that sold a variety of food items, from fruit bowls to parfaits, from chocolate chip cookies to chips. It was similar to a concession stand and gave an alternative to the regular lunch line. Money could be put into a student’s cafeteria account by their guardian or they could bring cash.
However, the a la carte closed down around 2024, after being around for more than five years before that.
“Yes, I do miss the a la carte,” seventh-grader Matthew Guth said.
Guth tends to miss the brownies that were sold at the a la carte.
And he’s not alone in missing the the once popular fixture of the DMS cafeteria.
Leahanna Airington, eighth-grade DMS student, said she liked getting raspberries from the a la carte. She said she liked that different foods were served from the regular lunch line.
“Not all kids like school lunch,” Airington said.
Besides having food options, students also liked the affordability of the a la carte and getting to choose how much food they actually bought. Although not every option was popular, many students like getting to make their own decisions on what exactly they would have for lunch.
This year, students have two meal options in the regular lunch line, which often includes pizza.
Jase Bumpas, seventh-grader, found himself wanting to see the return of the a la carte after getting tired of some of the lunch line food options.
“It sounds good,” Bumpas said. “The pizza is bad.”
Olivia Edwards, another eighth-grade student, said she has fond memories of the a la carte, which was part of her early career at Duncan Middle School. Edwards said she misses getting to buy a Dr Pepper during her lunch period.
