Crumb Cafe, the student-run night-time grub spot, softly opened for the academic year a few weeks ago. Aside from a few slight menu changes, students probably haven’t noticed any difference in operations. Over the summer, however, Crumb received a new supervisor. Previously overseen by the Office of Student Engagement (OSE), Crumb is now supervised by Swarthmore Dining Services.
The supervision change has improved efficiency in operations, including food ordering and event planning, according to co-Head Directors Ashley Rehrig ’26 and Alex Hearn ’27. Under Dining, Crumb reports directly to the Associate Retail Manager John O’Neill, who helps with the operations of the spot, from inventory to promotions to suggestions for running the cafe. Rehrig says it makes more sense to be under Dining. To order supplies, for example, going through OSE adds an extra step.
Rehrig has seen a lot of changes during her time at Crumb. As a first year, she started as an employee, back when Crumb shared a space with the old Essie Mae’s in Clothier (in the era of Essie’s meal swipes). Crumb, then, was more intimate, with booth seating and a soda fountain; it felt more like a sit-down cafe. In the summer of 2024, Crumb moved to Sharples, occupying what used to be a salad bar in the old Sharples dining hall.
Rehrig says students wish for some of the original cafe back, like the grilled food that was once served at their Clothier location. But in their new space, there’s no room for a chimney. Aside from that, their kitchen heats up pretty fast already.
“We’re still warming up to our space,” Rehrig said. While she can’t bring back the soda foundation, she’s excited to introduce Italian sodas to the menu.
Students may miss a few menu items from last year. Because the bread was a bit too “crumbly,” Crumb took flatbreads off the menu. However, they’ve brought in brioche buns.
Rehrig is looking forward to upcoming collaborations with student groups, such as Kapitiran, the college’s Filipino student association. These collaborations typically look like Crumb hosting the club, along with a special menu item featured for the night. Last year, in collaboration with C4 — an environmental justice group — the cafe sold “dirt worm cups” (crushed Oreos and gummy worms).
Both co-head directors dropped that a top-secret event is in the works. Rehrig expects the announcement to come sometime next week or the week after, as they await delivery of a new piece of equipment for the special.
