The Sky Café, located in Building 6, is open Monday through Friday and is a sanctuary to many of our students. 

When asking our students how often they choose to eat from the Sky Café, Amyr Canlas, a Skyline student, said “almost every day,” and many other students had the same answer. The Sky Café isn’t just convenient, it’s also a part of daily life for some students on campus. 

But whether you’ve tried the Trojan Favorite, Chicken Chipotle Quesadilla, or just stopped in for a quick snack, you might’ve seen the cooks in action. 

At the center of it all is manager and head chef Noe Boch, who has been with Pacific Dining for ten years and brings more than 25 years of experience in the food industry. Before Skyline, Boch worked in fine dining restaurants, but his love for cooking began much earlier.

“I inherited it from my mom,” Boch said. “I liked to cook, and I would always see how she was cooking. It caught my attention to see what she was doing.”

Today, Boch oversees a committed crew of seven kitchen staff who keep the Sky Café running, day after day. Their mornings begin with prepping everything before the first wave of students arrives. 

Menu items at all three campuses in the San Mateo County Community College District follow the same standards, and for some items the only difference between the campuses is a simple name switch. 

Where Skyline strays from the other campuses is through its specials, which are uniquely curated by Boch. Some of the specials range from Quesabiria to Chicken Masala and so many more options. 

By the time the rush hits between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., students are lined up, orders are being taken rapidly, and Boch oversees that everything goes smoothly. It’s clear to the students how efficient the staff is during their busiest hour. 

“Seems like they have a good system going on where they can take orders pretty quick and make stuff,” Sidd Shenoi, a Skyline student, said.

Angelica Diaz Valdez, another Skyline student noticed this by saying “They keep their calm pretty well.”

What stands out just as much as the efficiency, is the atmosphere. Even in the middle of lunch rush, the staff are known for their patience and warmth.

“If I forget to take out my card before getting in line, they’re very patient with me,” Valdez said.

For a longtime staff member Jesus Quiran, who has worked at Skyline for eight years, keeping things lighthearted is part of the job. 

“Even though there are big lines, sometimes we all joke around about things to pass the time,” Quiran said. “We all know each other really well and it is a great environment.” 

Quiran said his favorite part is seeing regulars and getting to know new people. 

“I try to see every student as if they were my own kid,” Quiran said.

That sense of care is what transforms the Sky Café from just some food place in the middle of campus into a respectable part of student life. For students, it is affordability and convenience that matters most. For the staff, it is about making sure no student feels like just another order in line.

As the lunch hour winds down and the kitchen resets for the next wave, Boch reflects on what keeps him going: a love for cooking that started at home and now finds purpose on campus.

In every plate that leaves the counter and every student who leaves satisfied, the Sky Café crew lives up to its reputation as the hands feeding our campus.