Stage Canteen

Notes from a regular:
— Seating availability waxes and wanes between classes and when graduate students have to use the space for office hours.
— Iced tea is hit and miss; for a while it was so unreliable I gave up on ordering it.
— Baked goods are scarce by late afternoon.
— Outlets are limited, so don’t rely on this café as a place to recharge your devices.

This hidden café in the film school is hard to find, which is why it is typically uncrowded if you want a place to hide out during the day.
Stage Canteen is uncomfortably close to about four other cafes in North Campus. However, to find SC, you need to walk past Broad. Look to your right, you will see a bench, some vending machines and a staircase. Walk past the benches and there will be either a wide open garage with Stage Canteen or on a cold/​rainy day, there will be a small opening.
It has your standard cold sandwiches, sweets, and drinks. I’ve ordered one of the chicken paninis before which was okay– very filling, but not particular savory. This is one of the smaller cafes with little to no outlets. However, it’s pro is that the internet works phenomenally well, which is unheard of in Melnitz.

This place usually has shit for selection and half the time the expresso machine isn’t working. We need more good choices over here! Feed film and theater kids! They have TVs and we never watch movies or anything which seems stupid considering it’s next to Melnitz. Blah.

Professional staff, better selection of snacks than other North Campus establishments. And they make one mean ass mocha.

Finally. Patience is a virtue I used to tell myself as I walked to the dining areas 5 – 10 minutes away for coffee, tea or a snack. Sometimes it would be 7pm at night or later and then I was SOL, but I still told myself that one day TFT would have a place where I could get my caffeine fix, snag some free internet and munch on a pastry. Well, that day has come.
No, Stage Canteen isn’t perfect, but with free internet, some fresh food options, assorted beverages and hours that push far past closing time of 99% of places in Westwood and elsewhere on campus (SC closes at 11pm) I’m not going to complain.

Coffee Shops at UCLA are becoming like banks in rich neighborhoods. Within a 1 block radius of the sculpture garden there are not 1, not 2, not 3, not even 4 but 5!!! Coffee shops!!!
No matter where you turn that delicious cup-​o-​joe is in front of your face, staring you down and making you feel small. Now Stage Canteen is in a great location for film and theatre students but honestly we all need the walk because most of us are sitting at computers all day. The food and coffee is all the same at this joint. The only thing that is different is that they serve Iced Coffee, but I am sure you will stumble upon that at atleast 2 of the 5 within jumping distance. I would like this place better if it had air conditioning and actually had a decorative theme. Untitled over at Broad Art Center has the theme of unfinished which is great. But Stage Canteen has no theme as of yet. I think it would be great if they put movie posters, or playbills on the wall. Maybe even a mural of the cookie monster I DONT KNOW. But it needs something to establish itself as an elite coffee shop at UCLA and not some sub-​standard joint just there to take up space. There are 2 flatscreen tvs but they need to be playing something. A fine young gentleman who I have the privilege of working with had the idea of playing students films at the shop. Another idea would be playing not only the films but also theatre productions or have montages playing, or even just movies. Something besides the UCLA TFT logo flashing on and off. My last comment is short and sweet. The pastry container they have at the canteen has a huge selections of fluffy and soft bagels. One problem. There is no toaster! How can you eat a bagel with crème cheese and not have a toasted bagel? It’s a crime. And no one seems to know when a toaster will be appearing at this shop. But eventually one is going to have to go in. I feel that the Stage Canteen has some work ahead of it but it will be a very popular spot for Theatre and Film majors to hang out with. Maybe there should be some sort of plan to even have networking night at the Canteen?

This place is brand NEW!!! Yes, its kind of in the middle of film school where not that many people know about but its perfect. It has two flat screen tv’s, tables, to sit and chill, TONS OF OUTLETS!!! AND there’s foooood, drinks, coffee, yogurt, cottage cheese, pastry, it’s just a mini coffee shop, with free internet!!! so come visit, its nice and quiet, and just a perfect place to chill!