Renovations for the Moody Towers cafeteria are set to begin in May, and Friday will be the last day the dining hall will be open to students.
University Services announced the dinning hall will close to finish the $9.8 million renovation, which begun last summer.
Students with meal plans will have to go to Oberholtzer Hall for the rest of the semester and summer. It is expected to reopen in late August.
Once renovations are completed, the “Horizons,” as many students refer to it, will include a fire burning furnace for gourmet pizzas, international cuisine stations that will include American, Mediterranean and Mongolian grills. There will also be a vegetarian station and a gourmet salad station.
Residential Food Service Director Edward Wigley said the renovation means change for the dining services department.
“The main point of the Fresh Food Co. is to give our customers fresh food that is prepared right in front of them for a healthy and fun experience,” he said.
Students are excited about the services that will be offered once the renovations are completed.
Communication junior Jordan Hill said the renovation will make her utilize her meal plan.
“There is not a variety of food in the horizons. I’m very tired of eating the same old thing (chicken and pizza),” she said. “Hopefully this change will be for the better.”
South Tower Area Coordinator, Habiba Milam, is thrilled about the renovations and said the students will be pleased with the outcome.
“The cafeteria will be more spacious and consist of a variety of foods that were not available to students before,” Milam said. “Aramark’s multi-million dollar renovation is exciting for our community and I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
The Fresh Food Co. will be used in place of the “Real Food on Campus Program” that is currently in use.
Chefs will prepare the food directly in front of the diners, in what Food Service calls “mini restaurants.”
English junior Virginia Lowman, who dines in the cafeteria daily, said she looks forward to the new facilities.
“I think it is definitely something that should have been implemented long ago,” she said. “I often feel like students who live on campus are overlooked because our school is primarily a commuter school. A new cafeteria that is somewhat ‘up to par’ with that which we receive when we dine out is definitely something I look forward to. Having something to eat other than pizza, hamburgers or a salad when I’m hungry will be great.”
The cafeteria will not be limited to only Moody Tower residents; during the renovation there will be a sky bridge that links it to Cougar Village, the new freshman dormitory, providing convenient access for students living there.
“Students who live in the Moody Towers have the luxury of just coming downstairs to eat their meals. The sky bridge is intended for students who will be living at Cougar Village and for their convenience,” Wigley said.