Every day the chefs of the Courtyard Cafe struggle to prove good food can, in fact, be rushed.
Like performers in an elaborate culinary ballet, they leap, prance and pirouette over omelettes and curly fries, cheeseburgers and chickenburgers, while the line of hungry students extends far beyond the confines of the Courtyard Cafe.
But according to Courtyard Cafe employees, there is method to the madness.
"Everything has its place, you automatically reach for the stuff," said Nanette Kendall, a Courtyard Cafe cook.
Antoinette Blanchard, who has been a cook at the Courtyard Cafe for five years, said even remembering the endless series of orders is easier than it looks.
"You just have to pay attention," she said.
Blanchard said some days are worse than others.
"Bad days are during registration and exams, when the students overpower us," she said. "The staff is short because we can't normally have people standing around with nothing to do."
"But nobody hangs back," she said. "Everybody is pulling. It's like a family."
Most workers agree fun and camaraderie are among the job's greatest benefits; the chaos always comes with a side order of humor.
For instance, one practical joker tricked a co-worker into drinking a less-than-palatable beverage.
Blanchard gave another cook a cup of "fruit juice" to drink while he worked at the grill. A moment later he rushed away with his hand over his mouth.
Blanchard confessed the liquid was not apple juice, but rather the left-over liquid from draining a can of tuna fish.
"He really thought it was apple juice," she said.
But in spite of the joking, Blanchard said she is happy with her work at the Cafe.
"There's a lot of consideration ... I love the whole operation," she said.
"Most of the stuff we do is very rewarding," she said. "We take pride in it."
Blanchard said she enjoys working with students in particular and that most are pleasant and friendly.
"Eighty percent are courteous and considerate," she said.
After a while, the employees come to recognize not only students' faces, but also their favorite meals.
"Some students will say, 'I'll have the usual,'" Kendall said.
The worst part of working at the Courtyard Cafe is cleaning the grill, according to Kendall. She said the task involves leaning far across the sizzling metal to scrape the scalding grease.
"I'm short," she said. "I have visions of [the movie] 'Mrs. Doubtfire'," she said, referring to a scene where Robin Williams' character's shirt catches fire while he cooks.
But Kendall said her co-workers are always willing to help her with the most difficult tasks.
