Dear members,

After a year of preparation and with the support of our members and all graduate students at York, it is my pleasure to announce the opening of et al., the new Faculty/Grad Student Café & Pub. Here are the details:

Location
S166 Ross Building

Hours of operation
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We hope to see you there to take a break and have some food, a drink, or a coffee with colleagues. Please see the announcement below for full details about et al., its personnel, and the menu, including a link enabling you to register formally with the Co-op as a member.

Cheers and all the best,
Richard Wellen
et al. Board member and YUFA president

An image of the name and logo of "et al."--the new faculty/grad student café and pub

NOW OPEN!

Location
S166 Ross Building

Hours of operation
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

* * *

History

In 2016, both the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) and the York University Graduate Students’ Association (YUGSA) held referenda to fund a café/pub on campus. Both passed with overwhelming support and, in March of 2017, et al. was incorporated as a non-profit, co-operative corporation. With a financial contribution from York University, S166 Ross Building was renovated and now we are pleased to announce that, on January 8, 2018, et al. will be fully open.

What’s a co-operative?

A co-operative is a large group of people coming together to fund and operate a service that will benefit the membership. As a democratic and member-driven organizational form, the co-operative model enables participation by its membership and effective responses to their needs and concerns. Co-operatives also are committed to benefitting the larger community.

As a co-operative, et al. works to serve its membership. Its primary mission is to provide food and beverage services to its members in a location for social interaction and intellectual engagement. It also operates in an environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable way that supports local initiatives and food providers. Finally, et al. provides experiential educational opportunities for students at York and beyond. As a not-for-profit co-operative, et al. returns any surplus it generates back into promoting its mission.

Menu

Our seasonal menu features fresh, sustainable takes on classic dishes, as well as all new creations from the mind of our head chef, Rebecca Russo. We offer halal options as well as hearty vegetarian and vegan dishes. Come in to grab a familiar favourite or see what daily special Rebecca is cooking up! Of course, all our coffee and tea selections are certified fair trade and organic.

Please see the menu here. It is a seasonal menu, so be sure to check back often to check out our exciting new dishes!

et al. also offers a selection of beer (draft and bottled), wines, and spirits. Our full drinks menu will be posted shortly.

Catering

et al. offers catering services for events of any size, from coffee and pastries for five to a full meal for hundreds. Chef Rebecca is happy to work with customers to ensure all special requests and dietary needs are met.

For our full catering menu, please click here. If you have any questions or would like to book a catering, please email [email protected].

Events

YUGSA, a founding member of et al., has kindly allowed us to book their space in S167 Ross Building to host et al.-catered events. It is available to graduate students, faculties, and departments for everything from socials to formal talks. If you have any questions or would like to book an event, please email [email protected].

For smaller, informal gatherings, it is possible to reserve tables at et al. However, due to high demand, the percentage of tables available during peak hours will be very small. To inquire about reserving a table, please email [email protected].

Meet our chefs!

Rebecca Russo
Manager/Head Chef

Rebecca grew up with environmentally conscious farmers. In et al., she sees the opportunity to run a kitchen with a heart – cooking delicious food with fresh, organic ingredients in a sustainable manner. Rebecca recently cooked at “The Dinner Party,” alongside 29 other top female chefs in Toronto, and was also interviewed by Village Living here.

Anastasia Danos
Sous Chef

Anastasia has always had a passion for food and has honed her skills at a variety of establishments, from intimate restaurants to large hotel kitchens. She was attracted to et al. because of its strong values. Anastasia received her culinary training from George Brown College and did a post-grad with a well-known indigenous chef.

Membership

YUFA and YUGSA both held referenda and are founding corporate members; however, the Ontario Co-operative Act requires that individuals must give their consent to be members. For this reason, we need members of YUFA, YUGSA, and the Green Campus Co-op to sign up as individual members of et al. Due to the contributions from YUFA and YUGSA, all members of these organizations can register at no cost.

Membership is necessary to the functioning of the café & pub because, by provincial law, we must do 50% of our business within our membership. Membership provides many benefits, such the right to vote at our annual AGM and run for the board of directors. In addition, we will also be hosting events for members, including wine and beer tastings, special dinners, summer culinary classes, and more.

To become a member, please click here. It will only take 30 seconds to complete the form and help contribute to our co-operative community!

Get involved!

As a membership-driven cooperative, et al. will thrive based on your involvement. Beyond ordering food and beverages, and making use of the space (which we encourage you to do), we encourage you to get involved in other ways. Consider joining one or more of our committees.

Committees

• Education & Marketing Committee: Explores and arranges for experiential education opportunities and marketing et al. via traditional and social media platforms
• Events & Membership Engagement Committee: Creating and organizing events, including an events management system and developing ongoing membership engagement procedures
• Sustainability & Supply Chain Committee: Committed to environmentally-friendly food sustainability and oversees supply chains

If you are interested in joining one or more of these committees, please email [email protected]. Remember to specify which committee you are interested in.

Feedback

As a co-operative, et al. believes that constant communication with the membership is essential to our success. It is only through the support and patronage of the membership that this café & pub will thrive. Please let us know what you enjoy and how the café & pub can be improved. Feel free to talk to staff and board members, or email [email protected].