Corp debuts Hilltoss

The Corp’s new salad and smoothie shop slated to open in the Healy Student Family Center during the 2015-2016 academic year, The Hilltoss announced its first class of hires Tuesday Night in preparation for its campus debut at the GU Farmers’ Market this spring. Hilltoss employees will prepare custom-made salads, offer a variety of smoothies, and provide a range of other healthy snack and drink options.

The Corp is still in the process of finding a supplier for the location. Based on input from a campus-wide poll, however, Corp managers have moved forward with developing various aspects of the strategic, operational, and cultural components of the business, in addition to promoting its commitment to overall health and wellness, according to Ellen Wilcox (COL ‘14), director of The Hilltoss.

“One of the ways in which we plan to promote holistic health is through The Hilltoss Scholarship, which will recognize and award a sum total of $2,000 to four deserving Hoyas who—similar to The Hilltoss—embody and promote a commitment to health and happiness in their daily lives,” Wilcox wrote in an email to the Voice.

Moving forward, the Corp expects to face some challenges in terms of management. “The biggest challenge of The Hilltoss is … given the nature of The Corp as a student-run business, a large portion of our leadership will graduate this spring,” wrote Wilcox. She is confident though that many of the non-seniors who played prominent roles in the store’s development will bring the vision of The Hilltoss to fruition.

The Corp also plans to take advantage of the HFSC’s eco-friendly resources for the operation of The Hilltoss, which may include water filling stations, a bike repair station, and other features, according to Rachel Pugh, director of media relations.

In addition to the GU Farmers’ Market, The Hilltoss plans to collaborate with other student groups, such as the Georgetown Community Garden, in order to promote environmentally sustainable practices related to urban gardening and student production.

“There has been a lot of talk about front-end composting, so when you get a salad, you should be able to compost the materials yourself … and they are putting a lot of effort into looking at appliances to make them a little more green,” said Whitney Pratt (COL ‘14) who volunteers at the community garden and served as the vice chair of the Corp’s Green Initiative.