On Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, El Table, a student-run cooperative cafe, reopened. This will be the first time El Table will be offering a dine-in option since March of 2020. 

General Manager of El Table, Gabriela Awad ’23, said that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of El Table. 

“Obviously, the pandemic wasn’t good,” Awad said.  “It’s difficult when you’re not able to access the space that the community is centered around. It hasn’t been easy reopening, and we’re just really glad that we have a community like Wellesley backing us up through all of that.”

According to Awad, El Table has experienced an overwhelming amount of support from Wellesley students within its first couple of weeks of reopening. Rahnuma Aroshi ’25, a new hire at El Table, has felt the busyness of El Table.

“At first I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to deal with [working at El Table] because my first shift was lunch rush,” Aroshi said. “Now that things aren’t as jammed packed as they were at first, I can take my time and learn as I go.” 

According to Awad, El Table has a reputation for being a safe space on campus for QTBIPOC students. Returning El Table employee, Alisha Shahriar ’25, said the environment is something students miss about the co-op. 

“People were happy that things were back,” Shahriar said. “Having that in-person vibe, being able to sit and hang out and have a shared community space.”

El Table is located on the bottom of Founders Hall and is open on weekdays from 9am-3pm.