As Westridge students and teachers entered the 2025-2026 school year, community members quickly noted that the Commons had also entered a new era. The Commons had gotten a back-to-school makeover, and it no longer looked like what it did last year. The checkout area has expanded this year, with the two fridges now on either side of the ice cream chest. In order to make way for these updates, the seating area shrank, and the lunch tables were pushed closer together. The tables often get crowded, making students bump into each other while eating. These changes may appear small, but they were certainly intentional. 

Space has always been tight, as all of the upper school must share access to the Commons during the high-traffic lunch time. The smaller seating area provides more space for the long lunch line. Director of Dining Services Chef Brandon Worrell said, “We really wanted to change the format to give students more space to move around.” 

In previous years, the Commons lunch line often caused chaos and became crowded quickly. This new layout hopes to address these issues.  “It got a bit less crowded,” said Tiffany W. ‘28. Directing traffic flow now includes the help of stanchions strategically placed to direct traffic flow. The new stanchions help organize the meal line into two lines–one for hot food and one for salads and sandwiches– helping the line move more smoothly.  “I think the congestion has gotten better, but I think that’s also because Brandon put up the tape,” Charlotte Y. ’26 pointed out, referring to the stanchions. Larkin M. ’27 agrees that the new format has changed the pace of the line, “I think the new orientation [of the Commons] is actually helpful because there are fewer traffic jams,” she said.

Although the long lunch line is improving, the backlog ends up at the cash register. “If I want to go get chips or a yogurt, I need to walk all the way around [the Commons] to the end of the line,” said Tiffany. Even though the line to get a meal is shortened, those who only want a bag of chips or a drink end up lining up behind students in line for multiple-item purchases. “You have to walk longer to get the plastic [packaged snacks],” Mary L. ‘28 said. 

However, these new changes are all working towards minimizing the length of the purchase line. Since he can not build a new building to house the developing eating area, Chef Brandon works with what he has to make sure everything is comfortable for the staff and students. Chef Brandon is aiming for a speedier line and managing the space he is limited to. These are all the new changes made in the Commons; however, Chef Brandon says, “There are going to be some changes coming up really soon.”