The RAD center offers a variety of food options as well as a new market. It is located at the old Satellite building next to the Science & Research Building 2. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
The Retail, Auxiliary and Dining Center has now officially opened just in time for the Fall 2024 semester, giving students a new center to study, hang out or catch a bite in.
The RAD center offers a variety of food options as well as a new market. It is located at the old Satellite building next to the Science & Research Building 2.
“We really like the study areas, and the food looks good, smells good,” said education sophomore Amber Morris.
The building is 41,000 square feet and offers indoor and outdoor seating for up to 400 people, including a terrace located on the second floor which gives a clear view of the campus, according to the website.
This remodeling provides an open space for students and staff to be able to dine and relax with friends during the semester.
“The RAD building is really nice. It has good vibes and I feel like it’s a great place for students to enjoy studying and quality time,” said marketing sophomore Brittnay Scanlon.
The new facility offers an assortment of lunch options such as the Burger Joint, Absurd Chicken, Paper Lanter, The Taco Stand, a new Nook cafe location and a market.
“The food is actually really good,” Scanlon said. “I feel like they have more available options now for students to choose.”
It has good vibes as it seems and I feel like it’s a great place for students to enjoy studying and quality time,” said marketing sophomore Brittnay Scanlon. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
In addition, the Taco Stand, RAD Market and Nook Cafe will also be open for breakfast during the Fall and Spring semesters with the Market and Nook opening at 7:00 am and the Taco Stand at 7:30 am.
The new diversity of food that is being offered has received good feedback from both students and staff. According to students like Scanlon and Morris, it represents UH’s openness to different cultures as well.
“It has a lot more open areas and different types of food vendors,” said electrical engineering staff member Crystal Gonzalez. “So they made some changes that were good to see.”
The construction of the RAD building in phase two did not cause inconveniences to students, providing reassurance that the final stage of the construction would be the same.
“It wasn’t that bad. I had to walk through here almost every day, but the construction didn’t really bother me,” said psychology junior Kai Brazil. “They really got it done fast, and it really didn’t happen until the end of the year so it wasn’t terrible.”
Although the construction did not intervene with Brazil’s schedule, she did point out that the food could be more economical. Students are still in college and a lot of them don’t have jobs, making these food options a little less affordable, Brazil said.
Now that the construction of phase two is done, UH is gearing up for the final phase of the RAD center which will start construction in the Summer of 2025 and is planned to finish by the opening of the 2025 Fall semester.
The third and final phase of the RAD center will include relocating the Cougar Card office from the Student Welcome Center to the RAD Center.
The Auxiliary Services Administrative office will also be relocated and add a reflection room, a Satellite delivery services office and a multipurpose room that seats up to 60 people and could be rented out.
