By Linda Cheung
After a tumultuous couple of months early into 2023, The Shack recently started serving hot food beginning May 1 after acquiring a food permit, which allows them to cook hot food outside.
“The grill and the fryers were all outside of The Shack so that any of the smoke or oil was not being caught inside of The Shack,” junior Mia Seeto said. “All of the prepackaged food was still being served and with the new regulations, there were always gloves being worn and aprons, so everything was being done with precaution.”
“I thought The Shack reopening was really positive,” junior Bright Xiao said. “I enjoyed that although they couldn’t serve hot food, they came back with a wider selection of snacks and drinks compared to what they had before.”
On January 4, 2023, The Shack received a non-critical health code violation from the Nassau County Department of Health. According to the Department of Health, non-critical health violations “are commonly referred to as sanitation or maintenance violations. They typically involve general cleaning and maintenance of food service equipment of structural deficiencies.” As a result of the violation, The Shack was unable to serve hot food and served prepackaged items instead.
“Right now, we have individually packaged goods that we use the microwave for,” Dad’s Club President Ms. Seeto said in an April interview. “We’re using everything without using our fryers, our barbecue, our flat tops at this point and time. Everything is individually packaged and sanitary and opened and microwaved and served.”
“When The Shack was closed, I was shocked since The Shack was a place where many students will go to buy food after school,” freshman Shane Varghese said.
During the week of May 1, 2023, The Shack acquired a food permit for one week to sell hot food such as burgers and fries. However, The Shack cannot serve hot food indoors unless a sink is installed and cooking equipment is updated.
“You can acquire a food permit which would allow us to cook outside of The Shack, where we can still cook fries and burgers like that the same way you would acquire a food permit if you were working at a carnival or if you had a food truck, so we’re allowed to acquire the permits for small amounts of time,” Ms. Seeto said.
The Shack plans to renovate its cooking equipment over summer break, in time for the start of the next school year. Many materials have already been purchased in planning for the renovations, including a new sink.
“We are currently in renovation stage and look forward to being new improved and fully functional by September 1 for the new school year,” Ms. Seeto said.
Many New Hyde Park students, faculty and staff also consider the future for The Shack after renovations are completed.
“We are intending to hold a contest for customizing your own item menu to be named after whoever wins, that should be new and exciting for the year,” Ms. Seeto said.
Overall, many renovations are being made in preparation for the next school year. Currently, The Shack maintains an updated menu of a combination of hot food and prepackaged items.
Source by Guneet Hanjra
Many feel optimistic for the future of The Shack, including its renovations and plans for the upcoming school year.