The Knorr Family Dining Hall recently added a tile floor outside the cafeteria area, a panini press, and other new eating options.
The tile floor extends about three rows out from the dining area and stretches to the dish drop off area.
Bon Appetit Manager Benito Suero Jr. said the college decided to change the flooring due to carpet stains. As for the rest of the dining hall, the college has not made a final decision on how to move forward.
“The college is considering other floor types. At this point, they haven’t fully made that decision,” Suero said. “The tile, I think, was a nice idea. It just makes the cafeteria look clean.”
Sophomore Bridget Whalen said she likes the new flooring.
“It looks sharp,” she said.
She also said she feels less likely to trip between the cafeteria and dining area. Whalen said she thinks the flooring is an improvement on the college’s part.
“It would look better than the carpet, but it would affect the acoustics a lot more and make the sound waves bounce more,” Whalen said.
Freshman Aaleyah Wellman said she likes the tile floor because it will test what expanding tile throughout the dining area would look like.
“I think that tile floor should be in a lunchroom because people are prone to spilling things,” Wellman said. “Tile floor is a lot quicker to clean than vacuuming.”
Wellman said that though it would be a huge task to convert the entire floor to tile, in the end, it would be worth it.
Tile floors are not the dining hall’s only addition this semester.
The second new feature, the panini press, is available at all meal times, according to Suero.
Wellman said she is excited to use the panini press to try making different kinds of sandwiches.
Suero cautioned that students should refrain from making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the panini press.
“I love toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches personally, but it makes a mess,” Suero stated.
Suero said the sugar can build up on the press, making it hard to scrape off and inconveniencing the next sandwich maker.
Suero said Bon Appetit will continue updating the dining hall’s offerings.
“We’ve instituted power bowls in our Passport area,” he said. “That went very well, and is very popular with the students. I am in the process of potentially buying another panini press because it’s been so popular.”
Power bowls include a variety of foods with nutritional value that fulfill all of the necessities to create a full meal, Suero said. They will be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.
Suero said Bon Appetit is striving to bring more variety and higher quality of food to the dining hall and A.J.’s Cafe.
“Bon Appetit’s quality is pretty high, and we’re trying to elevate it even higher with freshness and high quality cooking preparation,” Suero said. “We do what is considered clean cooking, so we generally don’t cook with gluten, depending on the dish of course.”
Suero said the company is working to increase options for students with dietary restrictions.
As for Taco Tuesdays, Suero said Bon Appetit is looking to expand the selection of toppings for tacos and the salad bar to make a wider selection of lettuce, dressings, and more.
For breakfast and brunch lovers, things like omelets and bacon will be returning, but due to staff shortages and supply shortages, it may take longer to bring these options back.
“We’re working with Key Opportunities to provide special needs individuals with the ability to come and work,” Suero said.
