by Jacob Fuhrer |
The Bauccio Commons, ideally the place to share a meal with friends or take a break from classes, is quickly becoming a source of frustration for some students who are tired of the limited meal options and long lines for food. The renovations to the Pilot House have left students with one fewer place to eat on campus until the building reopens in October.
Savannah Bruni, a sophomore nursing major, knows just how irritating getting meals from The Commons can be.
“With The Cove being gone, the lines are longer,” Bruni said. “If you don’t get there at the right time, you could wait half an hour just to get food.”
Sophomore Lina Tragni echoed Bruni’s concerns. She estimated once spending 35 minutes in line for meat and potatoes, only to realize The Commons had run out.
In addition to the wait times, Tragni says the food options can quickly become monotonous.
“I came to school in the fall and everything was good — for the first week — and then it started to get repetitive and regular and not as appetizing,” Tragni said.
Kirk Mustain, the general manager of Bon Appétit, is asking for patience as the University works to construct the Pilot House for student use, which should help reduce wait times as well as introduce a new, pub-style menu including staples such as cheeseburgers, sandwiches, salads and other entrées.
“Bare with us — We’re trying to do everything we can,” Mustain said. “We’re excited about the new restaurant getting opened. It’s going to be a great space.”
For now, Mustain said he’s primarily focused on getting students fed, likely because of the influx of students to The Commons, which is doling out more meals to students than before.
“There were 2,000-3,000 transactions a day in the Pilot House that now have to find new homes,” Mustain said.
A total of about 6,400 transactions occur on campus every day.
The Pilot House isn’t the only thing changing. The Anchor across from the new Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center has seen the addition of more healthy food choices like sandwiches and the removal of gelato.
Mustain says this is a direct response to the completion of the Rec Center.
“If we’re going to open a restaurant across from the wellness center, we should offer post workout type things,” Mustain said. “So there’s lots of nutrition bars and whole fruit and fresh fruit cut up and smoothies.”
Mustain was open to the possibility of gelato returning to The Anchor, though probably not any time soon.
Healthier options are also coming to Mack’s Market, which will have a new home in the center of campus at the Pilot House. The Pilot House is expected to open for business, if only partially, before fall break.
Jacob Fuhrer is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at fuhrer17@up.edu or on Twitter @jacobfuhrer.
