For the third time in the last five years, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) reopened The Wing, a grab-and-go food station and hub for students.
Located in the Nideyinàn atrium, The Wing offers “convenient quick-serve options” including sandwiches, snacks and beverages.
The Wing was previously shuttered in 2020, and then again in 2024. The Wing “lacked an efficient business plan and appropriate equipment to function independently as a food service,” according to CUSA’s 2024-2025 operational update report.
Amina Lezzeik, who works at The Wing, said the food station aims to sell non-processed foods to offer students healthier options like salads and sandwiches.
“We make all our own food and it’s fresh, unlike other places on campus,” she said.
Lezzeik said most of The Wing’s food is made in-house by staff and student volunteers, the only exceptions being prepackaged items like chips and bottled drinks.
Samuel Easby, CUSA’s vice-president of finance and secretary treasurer, said The Wing’s first closure was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CUSA president Sarah El Fitori said The Wing’s most recent shutdown was due to the lack of “a solid business plan.”
She said the previous business plan brought in vendors who paid a base rent of $100 to promote their businesses, which “wasn’t fully covering what CUSA was paying for the space.”
“Some vendors also wanted to prepare food at the location, which we couldn’t accommodate because The Wing doesn’t have a handwashing station,” El Fitori said.
Ottawa Public Health requires all food premises to provide an adequate supply of hot and cold water, which is why CUSA was unable to fulfil the requests of certain vendors. CUSA has solved this issue by preparing food in the nearby Ollie’s Pub & Patio kitchen instead of the Nideyinàn atrium.
In 2019, CUSA’s projected $151,200 in revenue from The Wing fell short by more than half, generating only $75,000.
The Wing spends $36,000 annually on rent, according to CUSA’s operational report, with $50,000 spent on furniture in 2023. These expenses surpassed its 2019 revenue by $11,000.
“Our entire goal was relaunching something that was in demand,” Easby said.
The Wing will now operate from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Featured image by Muhammad Deshmukh.
