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New food to fill Student Center, bellies

BY ADAM TESTA, THE SOUTHERN

Monday, August 18, 2008 11:22 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - A variety of new dining options will find their way to the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Student Center as the fall semester progresses.

A 10-year contract with vendor Chartwells Education Dining will bring seven new dining "concepts" to the Marketplace food court, said Student Center Director Lori Stettler. The term "concepts" is used rather than "businesses" because they are all under Chartwells management.

Construction began late last month, and new restaurants will be phased into the food court throughout the semester, Stettler said. The first two additions - Blimpie, a national submarine shop, and Tomato Head Red, which will serve pizza and pasta - are slated to be opened the week of Sept. 15.

Other choices, which are mostly slated to be completed by mid-October, include Roots, which will serve "comfort foods;" Wild Greens, a made-to-order salad bar restaurant; Chef Yan Can Cook, an Asian-style restaurant created by the PBS television chef; Mexican-based Rio Frontera and Southern Illinois' first Chick-fil-A.

A space formerly used as the Student Center's information center will be converted to a convenience center serving fountain drinks and "grab-and-go" items, Stettler said. Another standing food option - Freshens - will be converted to Freshens Energy Zone, which will serve energy drinks and more, in addition to ice cream and frozen yogurt. The convenience center and Freshens renovations are expected to be completed by the start of the spring semester.

Ideas for the new food options came from student surveys completed in the spring semester, Stettler said. The goal was "to listen to their needs and try to build our services around what students today are asking for."

For some students, however, the changes mean a loss of a favorite dining option.

"Subway's gone," said Erin Muehlhausen, a senior information systems technologies major from Orland Park. "That makes me sad. I've never had Blimpie. I don't know what it is, but I'll try it."

Muehlhausen said she doesn't eat the Student Center very often as she preferring to eat at home, but the loss of chain restaurants such as Subway and Taco Bell were disappointments.

The food court's other chain restaurant - McDonald's - is not affected by the contract with Chartwells, Stettler said. The contract for that space, however, expires in December and will be let out for bids this fall.

"We really think it will be a turning point for serving the university and the Carbondale community," she said of the changes to the food court.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com

351-5031