A Farewell to J&T's Catering
On Wednesday, May 16, Tyndale will be hosting a community wide farewell for the owners and staff of J&T’s Catering. This will be a time to say thank you to those who have served with care the students, faculty and staff of Tyndale for 15 years.
With the transition to the new campus, Tyndale will have a new food service provider to meet the expanding and shifting needs of the Tyndale community. “While we are excited to see what’s next, we want to thank J&T for their service,” says Karen Soltau, Supervisor of Campus Services.
John and Tony Tzakis, the original owners of J&T’s, came to Tyndale fifteen years ago. Sadly, John passed away two years ago but his legacy will be remembered by those who met him and experienced the friendly atmosphere cultivated by J&T’s.
When John and Tony arrived at Tyndale the cafeteria had few menu options. “There were only five choices when we came in,” Tony Tzakis states, “We decided to have an open a la carte menu to start.” Over the years, they continued to improve the cafeteria’s menu and provide students with options that they could invent themselves. Several of these inventions were nicknamed after the students who created them, with some of these options being made available almost daily despite not being featured on the regular menu. “We would try to accommodate the students in any way we could,” says Tony.
Tony and his staff’s care was evident in the relationships they developed with students, and they often hired student workers. “My time working at J&T's was fun and exciting,” says Tyndale alumnus Benjamin Klapwyk, “What I will remember most about J&T's is not the food but what they taught me about life and about cooking. They are the type of people who love life and love what they were doing for the students. I will miss each one of the guys from J&T. They have all touched my life in a different way.”
Winston Ling, then VP Administration & Finance, recruited J&T’s in 1997. “The two brothers, John and Tony, ran the business like a family business,” says Winston, “I knew about their honesty and their willingness to serve so I knew that they would treat our students like their own children.” This belief was proven true as Tony and his staff would know many of the students they served by name.
The entire staff of J&T’s will be missed by the students, staff, and faculty of Tyndale. “By their warm greetings, generous service, and open hospitality of providing needed meals on a daily basis, Tony, Maria, Chris, John, and the many others who have worked in the kitchen, the Muffin Shop, and at the cash, will be remembered with deep gratitude and lasting respect as we move onto our new campus,” says Dean of Students, George Sweetman, “Thank you J&T for your hard work, your bright affection for our students, and your faithful service – we shall miss you.”