Christian Science Church Center

PROGRESS REPORT No. 35

Lunch with a View

A table with a view will be easy to find at the new Church Center cafeteria. In fact, the view may well vie with the food for first honors. And the food is expected to be of high quality.

From the fourth floor of the Colonnade Building, the dining area will overlook the sparkling reflecting pool, a dancing fountain, and a splash of green trees and bright flowers, all set off by the soft, warm red of the plaza. Rows of tables will extend along windows that reach nearly to the floor. For large groups the tables can be pushed together. On either side of the self-service cafeteria will be comfortable lounges for relaxing and reading and for special meetings.

Over 1200 employees will probably eat in the cafeteria every weekday. Seating plans call for 356 people at a sitting. A double serving line will offer entrees, vegetables, salads, sandwiches, soups, and desserts. A leading food service firm will be selected to provide tasty meals at a modest cost. A modern, all-electric kitchen is being designed with the assistance of a national restaurant consulting firm.

Groups of employees will be able to reserve an area that can be partitioned to provide a semiprivate luncheon room. Special reservations for a group dinner in the evening may also be possible. The dining room will have open seating for all employees without reservations.

Those who work in the Publishing House will be able to enter the cafeteria through a connecting passage to the Colonnade Building. On sunny days, workers in the new Administration Building will cross the open plaza; on stormy days, they can go to the cafeteria through the underground garage, and elevators will take them to the fourth floor.

Vending machines with hot food for employees on a late shift are being considered. The Electronic Data Processing Division, for example, maintains several shifts that keep the computers humming around the clock.

The present lunchroom, located in the Publishing House, has been kept up to date as well as possible. But standards have changed considerably since the 1930's. In those days people wanted primarily a place to heat soup or grill a sandwich. A single attendant sufficed. Later, one woman began a sandwich concession. As requests for hot dishes came along, she began to bring in her own casseroles. Eventually a stove and then a kitchen were added, but additional seating space in an already crowded building was not available.

Now in these times of new vistas, the new cafeteria will offer a wide selection of dishes, an inviting atmosphere, and a classic view.

Church members will recall that in 1966 they were invited by The Christian Science Board of Directors to contribute to the Building Fund for the Christian Science Church Center. Those who have accepted the invitation have had the opportunity of becoming participators in this wonderful project. The invitation is extended and renewed this year to provide the funds for the continuing work.

Contributions should be sent to Roy Garrett Watson, Treasurer, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 02115.

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