Francis Hall is situated between Garden Apartments and townhouses, a quick walk from main campus. Inside is the Francis Cafe, one of the many on-campus alternatives to the Hickey Dining Hall. The building is old, but the café has charm. That’s not solely because of its age, though.
A woman stood behind the counter, her short hair tucked underneath the guise of a black baseball hat and black framed glasses balanced neatly upon her nose. A kind greeting floats through the air each time a student steps up to the counter.
It is Bobbi Moore’s voice.
She is infamous on Bonaventure’s campus for being kind-hearted and charismatic to any student who steps foot inside Francis Café.
She knows some of the orders by heart and has memorized nearly all of the frequent flyers’ names. How she remembers everyone’s names is a mystery to students and coworkers alike. “She remembers all of us, which is amazing,” Noelle Acaso, a senior theology and music major, said.
“I have no idea [how she remembers],” her co-worker Geoffrey Parks revealed.
Moore explains the feat simply. “I have a good memory, and if you come into Francis, I am going to remember who you are.”
She loves seeing students get excited over the fact that she’s remembered their names from visit to visit.
Francis Café offers food options that can be bought with BonaBucks at any hour of the day, but in addition to that, students can use a “Hickey swipe” for the meal exchange dinner program, which includes an entrée, a side and a drink. The swipe exchange is valid between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily.
According to Aramark representatives, the Francis “Hickey swipe” is meant to function as a “change of pace” for students.
Students enjoy the food that Francis distributes, Joseph Giglio, a senior professional and creative writing and history major, said. According to Giglio, “it’s a bit more consistently higher quality than the Hickey, and it’s got more of a consistent side menu.”
Moore explains students’ attraction to Francis as well, saying, “They are always saying how good the food is, how speedy the service is and they enjoy our company.”
Moore, and coworker Parks, would like to see more students stop by Francis on a daily basis, as they both enjoy the interactions with students. Moore knows that as students learn about Francis Café, they will be more likely to stop by for a meal.
Any student who visits Francis will tell you just how kind Bobbi Moore has been. Over the course of her six years at Bonaventure, she has put a smile on countless faces and brightened just as many days.
“She’s been really, really cool to us—super kind,” Giglio said.
Any student who has interacted with Moore will agree; Moore is one of Bonaventure’s true unsung heroes.
An easy-going, collected presence, Moore fits in perfectly on Bonaventure’s quaint campus. She said Bonaventure is, “a great community, and everyone is happy around here.”
Moore certainly does her best to make Francis a positive environment and contributes to the Bonaventure spirit. Her presence alone is enough to make students smile.
“I just want them all to feel welcome when they come to Francis,” she explained.
And because of her, students leave better off than they were when they arrived.
By Meghan Hall, Staff Writer
hallml18@bonaventure.edu
