For several months, Campus Dining has been working with several departments on campus to
design a new building that will be located on the south end of campus. As the campus community expands it is clear that another food venue will enhance campus life for all. In conjunction with planning members from facilities services, housing and residence life, student life, the dean of students office and others, here is what we envision this new facility to offer in the Fall of 2010 when the doors open.
Serving Area:
The serving area will be accessed by the main concourse and feature made-to-order deli and salad stations, an entrée area with a range of equipment for maximum menu versatility and a beverage station.
The deli and salad stations will exceed current offerings at GVSU. The right side of the counter, nearest the entry, will be devoted to the made-to-order deli. The deli will visually display a range of bread selections including whole grains, rolls and specialty breads. A selection of soups will rotate through the daily menu as a compliment to sandwiches and salad. Behind the deli station, a pass through window into the C-Store will enable the deli to provide a late-night menu to store guests well after the serving area has closed.
The left side of the counter will be dedicated to made-to-order salads, tossed or topped. This concept will be based on the current and highly successful Crouton’s station at River Landing inside the Kirkhof Center. That concept will be maximized in the new South Dining with expanded space and an enhanced line of offerings. Ample display cases will showcase composed salads and unique offerings, allowing guests to shop with their eyes and depend less on menu listings. An air-screen cooler will be positioned at the end of this station. It will be stocked with bottled beverages, yogurt, and premade salads and sandwiches for guest convenience.
At the entrée station, a wood stone oven will visually attract the guest, warm the space and provide versatility for many menu items. This station will allow for exhibition style service similar to that seen in the Fresh Food Company inside the Commons. Guests will interact with service attendants to create a cus t om ized meal.
The beverage station will feature Flavor Fusion fountain machines that will provide the greatest flexibility to guests in creating their own beverages. In addition, space will be provided for up to 6 brewed coffee offerings. A water dispenser will give guests the choice of freshly filtered or carbonated water. Fresh Brewed Ice Tea will top off the variety of beverage choices.
Technology will p lay an important role in the serving area as a cashless P.O.S. system speeds guests through payment. Each food station will operate independently in terms of payment and guests will breeze through transactions using their student IDs with automatic meal or dining dollar access.
C-Store with Coffee:
Provisions on Demand (P.O.D.) is the latest in C-Store design. P.O.D. offers the usual product line and an integrated market with a number of additional, fresh items. Guests can choose something to take home and warm lat er, f ind simple ingredients for a meal to make at home or simply find replenishment before the quick dash to class or the bus.
By design it will convey fresh, wholesome products with top-notch display. An emphasis will be placed on a fresh, organic and flexible product mix that will be altered by guest suggestions and requests. The design is marked by warm, wood tones, stone wall treatments and a contemporary pallet of earthen colors. The overall look is one of a fresh food market. Guests will feel that they’ve entered a very contemporary space - an unexpected surprise in the midst of their campus community whe re the retail experience will be pleasant, socially aware and diverse in offerings.
A full service coffee venue will be located near the entry/exit providing a full line of coffee and specialty coffee drinks. This offering will also be available to guests in the hall, in the west seating area, via a service counter. These two points of service for coffee will offer guests the flexibility to receive coffee both inside and outside the store.
Dining Area:
The dining area will provide a variety of seating styles, niches for conversation, soft seating for relaxing and wireless Internet access for study and leisure. Plenty of electrical outlets for laptop use will be a key element for guest satisfaction.
Back of the House:
Behind the serving walls, sufficient storage is required for both the serving area and P.O.D. store. Storage will include refrigerator, freezer and dry storage. Square footage should be large enough to accommodate 2 or more major deliveries at any given time. There will be a small space provided for food preparation behind the entrée station. Two small offices, one for the serving area and a second for P.O.D., will be part of management support space as well as a double locked room for cash control measures. Locker space and an employee bathroom will support the full-time and student staff needs for personal storage. The dishwashing area will accommodate a two-compartment dish machine.
