Newest dining location earns national honor

05/17/2022 

Sawubona was created to match the quality of the recent renovations to Moffett Center.

Mission accomplished.

The café known for using premium African coffee beans recently earned silver recognition in the retail sales category of the 2022 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards presented by the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS).

Located in the Moffett Center Forum, Sawubona opened for the Spring 2021 semester. Its name reflects a Zulu greeting that translates to “we see you.” Moffett Center’s recent $25 million renovation brought new space for several academic departments, including the university’s Africana Studies Department.

“We are thrilled with this award and recognition,” said Jeffrey Scott, director of dining services for Cortland Auxiliary Services. “We’ve made an effort to expand ‘globally inspired, locally connected’ menu concepts, and this honor reflects the impact of that work.”

The facility highlights a local partnership with Coffee Mania, a popular wholesaler that imports coffee beans from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya and then roasts them in the city of Cortland. Signature blends offered in the Moffett Center café include Tumaini, which translates to “hope” in Swahili, and Pamoja, which means “together.”

“We’re excited that the message behind Sawubona – ‘I see you and I value you’ – has been recognized and embraced,” said Scott, noting this is the second consecutive year SUNY Cortland has earned a NACUFS recognition.

In addition to signature coffee and tea drinks, Sawubona offers a menu that includes specialty sandwiches and other light fare. The dining spot – one of several retail dining facilities at SUNY Cortland – is open from early morning to mid-afternoon in a hub of student and faculty activity during the academic year.