The 4-foot tall photos of broccoli on the ground floor of 1920 Commons Dining Hall -- or "broccoli on steroids," dining officials joke -- are just a small part of the new renovations made to dining facilities over the summer.
Changes extend to virtually all dining facilities, affecting 1920 Commons, McClelland Hall, Mark's Cafe, the Cyber Cafe, Houston Market and Hill College House.
Located in the recarpeted, redesigned and reconfigured lower floor of 1920 Commons, the broccoli adds nutritionally sound decoration to one of the new dinning stations installed in the facility.
"It's about changing the entire atmosphere to a retail ambiance," Maeve Duska, marketing manager for Dining Services, said of the small dining stations, each of which will allow students to collect all components of a meal in one spot.
"There's no question of the freshness of the food -- you can see it's being prepared right in front of you," Duska said.
"It's actually set up with stations similar to Houston Market," Duska added, explaining that dining officials hope long lines will be eliminated and that students will shy away from seeing the facility as a traditional cafeteria.
Students, however, can still frequent multiple stations if they choose, and the dining is still "all you care to eat," according to officials.
"One employee said she feels really proud to come work here," Dining Services Contract and Relationship Manager Laurie Cousart said, highlighting the impact that the more modern-looking facility has had upon viewers.
"Everything was gray and we painted a lot of it bright colors," Cousart said, adding that interior walls in 1920 Commons were also removed to create a more open atmosphere.
Altered as well is the middle level of 1920 Commons. Where there was just a Subway and a convenience store with around 30 different items, the level now offers Chick-fil-A, Fresh‰ns Smoothies and C3 -- "Convenience to the Third Power" -- the new 1,200-item convenience store.
A smaller version of the convenience store has also been added to McClelland Hall in the Quadrangle, offering residents the chance to forgo a Wawa run to buy "all the necessities" on site, according to Duska.
Two new cafes -- including Mark's Cafe in Van Pelt Library and the Cyber Cafe in the Towne Building -- were constructed over the summer.
Construction delays will prevent Mark's Cafe from opening until mid-September, but once open, the cafe will feature an outdoor patio area and seating for close to 100.
The Cyber Cafe -- complete with stations for internet access -- is open and will cater to a "very busy, very hungry population of students" in the Engineering buildings, according to Duska.
Smaller dining changes include the addition of a noodle bar -- complete with made-to-order noodle bowls and an on-site sushi chef station -- in Houston Hall.
The dining area in Hill College House was also painted and the center fountain was repaired.
Preserving dining facilities for summer residents, Kings Court Dining Hall was left open this past summer. Renovations to that facility will come next summer, according to dining officials.
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