By Lindsey Smith

Café Mac has undergone noticeable changes this year. From increased menu variety to more sustainable practices, Bon Appétit catering company has been hard at work improving Macalester’s dining. The operation had a setback however, when executive chef Asher Miller quit sud­denly in the third week of September. Miller’s reasons for leaving are unclear, but sous chef Sam Johnson said Miller had been working with a food truck in addition to his job at Macalester. “We’ve been working a little bit longer,” said Johnson, but otherwise the change has not shaken up the cafeteria considerably. Paul Thomkinson, Café Mac’s execu­tive sous chef who is currently filling in for Miller, said that Miller’s leaving didn’t cause noticeable changes because of the relatively short time he was working at Café Mac. “It takes six to eight months to get fully accustomed to an operation as big as Macal­ester’s,” Thomkinson said. Miller only began work as executive chef the first week of August this year, so Thomkinson said he was not involved in the operation enough to cause a significant shift upon leaving. As for who will take over Miller’s posi­tion, Thomkinson said that there has been no discussion on the subject. The staff is unsure if Bon Appétit management will promote a current chef to the position or hire from out­side the company. It appears that the Café Mac staff has weathered the unexpected change without incident and will continue to focus on this year’s array of planned changes to the caf­eteria. refresh –>