Antoine Okeke, a senior at Oswego studying technology management, is pioneering a new potential opportunity for students after serving his own menu for late night at Cooper Dining Hall. 

Okeke, who runs a food business on the side called “Okeke Eats,” served jerk chicken, rasta pasta and rice and peas for his first “dining hall takeover” on Feb. 28, which is considered his specialty amongst the student population.

Those who have previously missed out on his menus will have two more chances to catch them during dining hall takeovers this semester on a pair of Fridays, April 19 and April 26, also in Cooper Dining Hall.

Okeke said that he wanted to make his mark on campus in his final year at Oswego, which inspired him to reach out to President Peter O. Nwosu and the university's Auxiliary Services about the possibility of serving his menu to a larger crowd. This led to a meeting and taste test with Stephen McAfee, assistant vice president and executive director of Auxiliary Services.

“[Auxiliary Services] got back to me, specifically Steve McAfee, and we organized a meeting. I cooked a plate for him beforehand and introduced myself… he also told me to send a list of safety protocols I use in my kitchen,” said Okeke. “He tried the food and was like ‘this is the bomb’... and I was really honored.”

After he met with management at Cooper Dining Center, they mutually decided for his first menu to be on a Wednesday, famously known as pizza and wing night.

“That’s normally a very hectic day... When I lived on campus I remember it was always packed,” said Okeke.

And packed it was. According to Okeke, over 600 students showed up to try his menu.

“[The food] was gone within 45 minutes… some people told me that they were bringing Tupperware! I was like 'you can’t do that!'” Okeke exclaimed. “I’ve never had to cook for 600 [people], maybe 40 or 50, but never that many.”

This experience has also led to more exposure for his business and other opportunities for collaboration.

“After I served at the dining hall I started getting opportunities from other clubs and organizations on campus, so that really boosted my confidence, getting those other opportunities afterward without me even reaching out,” said Okeke.

A taste of home and community

Okeke, who is from Queens, New York, said a big influence on his menu is the food he’s used to cooking and eating back home. Since serving the Oswego student population, he’s noticed many of his customers are also from New York City and miss certain dishes or flavors that aren’t as common upstate. 

“A little bit [of inspiration] back from home, just thinking what have I not cooked… seeing what people mostly miss… [A lot] of people here are from [New York City] so giving them a little taste of life back home,” said Okeke.

Okeke is also a member of various organizations on campus, such as the African Student Association (ASO), African American Males Empowerment Network (AAMEN) and the Black Student Union (BSU). He says member suggestions and upcoming events sometimes influence the weekly menu.

“One of the clubs, ASO, they’re having ASO Week so they’re teaching people about African culture and will have performances and events, so it's good timing to introduce [African cuisine] into the menu.”

Listening to others' ideas is important to Okeke, as he has an entire committee of students who help him prepare orders.

“It’s not just a one-man army, and [the committee] brings suggestions,” said Okeke. “Just having an open mind. If someone comes to me and is like ‘I don’t think we’ve cooked this in a long time, or at all’ I always try to consider it.”

Okeke hopes that his menu introduces new ideas for the dining hall to incorporate and take into account as they serve the student body. He feels that this has been a mutually beneficial experience.

“Being able to communicate with the dining hall, and they give suggestions too about what I should be able to cook and I add a little flair to it. That way no one is stealing anyone’s ideas,” said Okeke. “It’s more so just a melting pot of what we can do and establish for the students. It’s not just [about] my business, it’s about [them], what they want to eat and what [the dining hall] has to serve… It’s all an equal transaction.”

Student and staff collaboration

After having the experience of working in a commercial kitchen, Okeke said he learned a lot about day-to-day operations and how they manage to serve the entire campus community.

“There’s a whole community and population of students that you’re trying to make food for... so being behind the kitchen kind of opened my eyes to the work they have to put in,” said Okeke. “There are some things you can’t control. Everyone has to eat the same things.”

Although Okeke was the star of the evening, he said it would have never been possible without all the support he received behind the scenes from the Auxiliary Services staff.

“I’m not gonna lie, even though I was cooking it, the dining hall and the managers at Auxiliary Services were the real troopers behind the whole business,” said Okeke. “They provided all the food and I cooked it. I provided them with the menu and the ingredients [list] for everything.”

Okeke said that some staff even came in on their days off or stayed late to help with his second dining hall takeover on March 22, where he served barbecue chicken, salmon and his famous mac and cheese.

“I was really grateful that they gave me the opportunity and had enough faith in me and helped me out to get this situated, and for everyone who supported me,” said Okeke.

Okeke hopes that this student and staff collaboration continues after he graduates.

“After I started mine, others have opened up [their own businesses] as well. I think it’s given students an opportunity who may have been discouraged from trying to do it or who may not have the necessary resources,” said Okeke. “I did not think it would reach this large of a scale.”

After the huge success of the first dining hall takeover, Okeke believes this could become a recurring opportunity for students.

“One of my friends sent me the video of the people who were lined up from Cooper all the way to Hart [Hall] and that’s not normal!” said Okeke. “So showing students that they may be able to do the same thing, it just kind of opens the door for different kinds of opportunities.”