Chef Finn’s Opens At Homestead Campus
With the unveiling of its new Student Success building and an Idea Center hub, the Homestead Campus has made some major upgrades this fall.
Now the campus has revamped its cafeteria.
After two months of renovations, Chef Finn’s opened its doors on Oct. 9.
“I am looking for a place that students are excited about, that students can go, eat and hang out and have it be a really important social space for the campus,” said Homestead Campus President Oscar Loynaz. “That’s one of the reasons we named [the cafeteria] Chef Finn’s, to give it an identity and a place where they would want to go.”
The idea for the $75,000 upgrade was sparked in July when the campus switched food vendors—from Uncle Boo’s Catfish Corner to Off-The-Grill—to provide students with more meal options.
After Laura Rodríguez, the director of campus administration, was advised to replace the cafeteria’s metal wraparound countertops with forward-facing counters, she realized the space’s potential.
“A little light bulb went off in my mind and I said, ‘We have this amazing new building, we’re working on upgrading our spaces to give our students the absolute best,’” Rodríguez said. “So I said, ‘You know what? If we’re already coming in here and we have to change the counter, what’s to say we can’t do more?’”
Prior to the renovation, Uncle Boo’s Catfish Corner, which served the campus for a year and a half, featured an old-school southern theme with brick-red booths, burgundy walls, wooden tables and signature dishes such as fried okra, hush puppies and catfish.
The new space, located in Room F103, highlights Miami Dade College pride. It has light gray walls and a graphic on a blue accent wall that reads “Chef Finn’s” and showcases the school’s mascot—Finn—wearing a chef’s hat and holding a cloche, a domed-shaped food cover.
“It’s about time we [had] our own branding at school,” said Fabiola Gavarrete, a student studying criminal justice at the Homestead Campus who worked in the cafeteria from December of 2022 to July of 2023 when it was known as Uncle Boo’s Catfish Corner.
Luxury vinyl tiles were laid over the old flooring and new light fixtures, electrical outlets and solid surface countertops made from composite materials were added. The area kept the previous cafeteria’s wooden tables and metal chairs as décor.
The space is awaiting a high-top counter, which will be placed toward the back of the cafeteria, stools and television monitors. Rodríguez also hopes to add a boxwood backdrop with green shrubbery.
Menu items include corned beef and grits, egg sandwiches, Cuban tostadas, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, sliders, wraps, bowls, salads, chicken fingers and more. Prices range from $2.50 to $9.50.
“We were lacking a spot to go and have food and get a snack,” said Olga Labastida, a student studying business administration at Homestead Campus. “I walked in there today and it had a lot of variety.”
The cafeteria will be open Monday through Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. Off-The-Grill food options will also be offered at the cafe located on the first floor of the Student Success building.
“[Chef Finn’s] is another space where our students can gather,” Rodríguez said. “It’s also a way to keep our students on campus, you know, and encourage our students to stay here and incorporate themselves within our student life.”
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