Grace Buller

A sign showing Johnny’s new hours as of March 3. Later, the Friday hours were extended until 6 pm.

On March 3, more than three dozen Johnny’s student workers received an email from Creative Dining Services informing them that they had been “laid off from [their] position, effective March 3, 2025.”

Two days later, on March 5, an official Creative Dining Services response was issued stating that the email had been sent in error. This quick turnaround prompted frustration and confusion among the student workers. 

The initial email coincided with the announcement of reduced hours at Johnny’s. A sign posted outside Johnny’s on Monday informed students that the cafe would now be open from 10 am to 2 pm Monday through Thursday, and 10 am to 4 pm on Friday. Previously, Johnny’s had been open until 8 pm Monday through Thursday, and until 6 pm on Fridays, according to hours on Calvin’s website. On March 13, a third email – sent out to all students by Luis Aljona, Director of Hospitality Operations at Creative Dining Services – announced that the Friday hours would be extended until 6 pm; other hours remain in place. 

Junior Ewan McMullen, a student manager at Johnny’s, was “blindsided” by the March 3 email which stated that the layoff was “a consequence of the recent economic downturn” and “should be considered permanent.” The 37 students who received the email included almost all of Johnny’s student workers, McMullen told Chimes. According to the email, the directive came from Calvin University and not Creative Dining Services itself. “This is a decision we have fought strongly against,” Molly Lyons, retail manager and the original email’s sender, wrote. 

The follow-up email, sent on Wednesday, March 5, told the same students that, “in preparing to communicate some broader service changes and dining enhancements…an email was sent by mistake to several student employees.” According to McMullen, the email was sent by Aljona; associate director of public relations John Zimmerman along with various vice-presidents from Calvin University and CDS were copied on the email. 

In further communication with Chimes, Zimmerman emphasized that “no student workers are losing their jobs.” The Creative Dining Services team, according to Zimmerman, “is currently evaluating services and staffing needs and expects to share additional details in the coming weeks.”

Despite these reassurances, students remain wary. One sophomore student worker, who spoke with Chimes on the condition of anonymity, said that some student workers received an email announcing layoffs during their shift. As an international student, the student said that their on-campus job helped “pay for tuition and [other] support.” They also have not received any emails regarding their job status. Instead, the student has been picking up shifts in the dining halls. 

For McMullen, “the whole tone and environment” of Johnny’s has changed over the past few months. McMullen, who had worked at Johnny’s since his freshman year recalled that in previous years, students could work however many hours they wanted. At the end of last semester, however, “they started to get a little more tight with stuff.” With fewer hours available to work, says McMullen, “things have been more stressful.”

Now, he’s looking into other employment options. After the March 3 email, “I just kind of was like, all right, I’m done,” McMullen said. 

However, McMullen noted that he worries for his former coworkers – many of whom are international students and have limited job options due to their visa status. “The international students, I don’t know what’s going to happen for them. I do feel sorry for them cause this is where they get their work,” said McMullen.