Newly completed cafeteria offers more options
January 31, 2017
After two years of construction and a semester without a cafeteria, the Atrium Café opened on Jan. 17.
The new cafeteria features a multitude of food options and has professionally trained chefs serving the students.
The Atrium Café grill serves breakfast in the morning as well as hot entrees, burgers, chicken, and fries in the afternoon. There are also grab-and-go wraps, a panini station, soup station, a custom salad bar, an ethnic foods station and fresh organic options at The Whole Bowl.
Just outside the Atrium Café is a Starbucks coffee shop and a gourmet ice cream bar. Seattle’s Best Coffee can be found in the snack station located on the second floor of The Gateway.
“There are a lot more choices, and we wanted to appeal to specialty diets,” says Terrie Thorstad, the Director of Auxiliary Services. “It is spectacular,” she continued. “It will make students feel like they go to a college.”
The reaction from students has been positive.
“There’s more variety, it’s different. It caters better to the student body,” said Kalkidan Fett, a liberal arts transfer student. “There are more diverse options for vegans, vegetarians, everybody.”
Jose Martins, also a transfer student, appreciates both the food and staff who work in the cafeteria.
“The food is fantastic,” said Martins. “But the cashiers are the ones who are putting the ‘ambiance’ into the Café.”
Thorstad is excited and relieved to be nearly finished with the two-year project, which is projected to be making enough food for 10,000 people each week.
“Quality food options help students succeed. Students can’t learn when they’re hungry.” says Thorstad.
The temporary Mitby Cafeteria has now closed and the WolfPack Athletics concession stand will only be open for games.
“We appreciate the students’ and everyone’s patience,” Thorstad says. “It’s been a long year.”
