This is arguably the most comforting word that an academic guest or a student may hear upon patronising the Lagos Business School cafeteria. Although a word used frequently in our everyday lives, it hits differently when it is being said by a waitress or staff of the cafeteria. Could it be the warmth of being invited to have a good time or the enticing variety on the menu? Whichever it is, you can rest assured that if you are the person being told to ‘enjoy’, then indeed you are in for an enjoyable moment.
From the moment you walk into the cafeteria, you are greeted with an aroma that quickly takes off the pressure from the academic session you must have had moments prior. The journey to ‘enjoyment’ begins from a well-organised queue of decently clad students, who similarly seek to ‘refuel’ before their next class. Upon getting to the serving point, you are treated to pleasant smiles as well as 2 to 3-course meals including (most times)- pepper soup, and other filling meals- I mean, where would you rather be? Having been served your meal(s), one of the easiest things to notice, as you make your way to a roundtable is the organisation and neatness of the cafeteria. I curiously insisted on finding out how over the years, the staff has consistently maintained this standard. Out-of-this-world quality assurance!
A common mistake made by many students is to miss out for any reason, on breakfast or lunch break. This is because the cafeteria experience is an integral part of the LBS culture, just as ‘enjoy!’ is the language of that culture. On campus, besides the gazebo, the cafeteria is the one place where students are able to build on their relationships and form some camaraderie amongst themselves. Furthermore, the cafeteria provides students with the opportunity to practice what they had learnt in the etiquette class with respect to table manners. Truly, the cafeteria has served as that confluence where various cohorts get to intersect and appreciate the collectiveness of our purpose at the Lagos Business School. In as much as it is unspoken, members of different cohorts will often accord respect for and to each other through polite salutations and other non-verbal gestures.
To the meat of the matter, the meals are a well-prepared delivery of goodness; offering the needed cushion right after intensive coursework. I for one, have never passed on a serving of peppersoup- a newsworthy appetizer that treats you, whilst you examine how you will prefer to devour the main dish. The soups are quite tasty and easily reveal the culinary prowess of the chef which compliments the impeccable customer orientation of the staff at the restaurant. As you begin to dig in, spoon by spoon, or hand to mouth (in the case of confectionaries), you also subconsciously ease yourself into the school’s culture. Perhaps at the 3rd meal, you start to consider yourself a bona fide member of the LBS ecosystem.
Overall, you cannot be said to have truly experienced LBS if you are unable to catch up when ‘members’ converse about or use the word, ‘enjoy!’.
Enjoy!
