During the summer break, renovations to the Food Court took place to open up space and improve customer flow.
Although renovations to the Food Court occurred in 2007, lack of funding for sufficient expansion and increased enrollment caused long lines during the lunch hour.
Dana Wavle, vice chancellor of Administrative Affairs, said the goal of the renovations was to reconfigure and expand the layout to help with customer flow.
“There were times even when I would get in line, and I didn’t realize all I had to do was walk up to the deli, and I could have gotten in. So, by spreading things out we’re going to form separate lines and separate stations,” Wavle said.
The renovations expanded the Food Court space by about 15 percent, and some of the changes include three cashier stations, a brand new tile floor and a grill for made-to-order cooking.
The project was approved and funded in the amount of $357,000 for the fiscal year ’10 budget. However, the renovations were not able to begin until fiscal year ’11 because the project needed to be approved by the University Architect’s Office in Bloomington.
Wavle said although most of the funding came from general fund support, which includes tuition dollars and state appropriation, they were also able to use left-over funds from the University Center renovations in 2006-2007.
“I think by the time we’re done, less money will come out of the general fund and more money will come out of the residual monies,” he said. “We did reuse most of the original fixtures and equipment. What that did was it helped us stretch our budget out.”
Jim Wolfe, physical plant director, was also involved with the renovations, helping with opinions on design and monitoring the progress.
“I think the renovation was a great idea,” Wolfe said. “During the main lunch hour, the area is just packed, and we opened it up quite a bit to provide more room to students and other customers to be in the area and be served better.”
During the construction, the University Grounds Coffee Shop expanded service and the deli line was temporarily located there.
Megan Whyte, biology senior, works in the Food Court as a student supervisor and said she is happy with the larger changes to the Food Court.
“It’s nicer because people are actually going to have space to move and breathe instead of being all cramped up,” Whyte said. “There’s more walking room, and it’s also going to flow better because [the stations] are so much farther apart now.”
Whyte said she thinks the new grill and made-to-order burgers are going to be a big hit.
“People are really going to like that,” she said. “They train you on it to make sure you don’t cook raw burgers.”
Seuth Chaleunphonh, dean of students and director of Campus Life, was included in making sure the renovations would not impact any student events.
“We tried to make it as least convenient for any activities as possible, he said.
Chaleunphonh said he thinks students will find the new layout more logical.
“Hopefully, they will find it more convenient as far as the location of places would make sense, and certainly the traffic path because sometimes it’s hard to tell until people actually show up,” he said.
Another addition to the Food Court is a new executive chef, Victor dela Cuesta. Before coming to IU Southeast, he worked at La Bocca restaurant in New Albany, the Grand Plaza Hotel and as a sous chef at the Horseshoe Casino.
“I’ve always wanted to do institutional cooking,” Cuesta said. “I was working at La Bocca restaurant and really wasn’t challenged. This is definitely a challenge for me.”
Cuesta said he won’t be changing the menu at first, but he might introduce new items next semester.
“My predecessor from history I think used a lot of frozen products and ready-made products. That’s not me. I tend to use more fresh products, fresh vegetables and from scratch items.”
Overall, Wavle said he thinks students will be pleasantly surprised.
“I think our facility before wasn’t doing a very good job meeting student needs,” Wavle said. “This is going to be a big enhancement.”
Chaleunphonh also said whether a student is new or returning the renovations will be a great way for students to utilize the commons area.
“I think eating is a fantastic way for students to connect and socialize,” he said. “Whether they like to eat big or just a small snack, the point is not in the consumption, I think the point is the social cultural aspect.”
By CLAIRE MUNN
Senior Editor
clamunn@umail.iu.edu
