Dear USF Community,
Over the past several days, my office has received emails expressing concern about USF ending the lease for Sweet Joanna’s at 101 Howard Street and expressing support for the cafe. I have also received messages from faculty and staff. Given this feedback, I reached out to Julie Orio, vice president of operations, to seek her perspective and draw upon her institutional experience working with the diverse needs and expectations of our campus dining community.
I have asked Julie to work together with representatives of the business and finance office and the facilities management department to develop and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment that engages faculty, staff, students, and potential future tenants of the building. This effort should provide us with important input and clarity on the food service needs at the Downtown Campus.
Joseph Abughosh, the owner of Sweet Joanna’s, recently reached out to me, and we had a constructive conversation. I emphasized that our primary responsibility is to ensure we meet the needs of our students, faculty, and staff, and that we would conduct a needs assessment to inform any future decisions regarding the dining options. Mr. Abughosh expressed his desire to continue working with the university while acknowledging that, if the assessment indicates that a change is in the best interests of the community, he understands a need for change.
I thank you for your understanding as we work on a solution that best supports the needs of the USF community.
Kindly,
Salvador D. Aceves ’83, EdD ’95
President