Stouffer diner to open doors in late fall

With sparkly vinyl, chrome finishes and late-night hours, the new Triangle Diner is planned to resemble anything but the typical college cafeteria.

Scheduled to open in late fall, the jukebox-adorned, 1950s-style establishment will cater to Quadrangle residents who have been without nearby dining plan options since the close of Stouffer Commons Dining Hall in 2001.

The diner will offer both eat-in and take-out options, accepting Dining Dollars, cash and PennCash, along with the option of charging to one's bursar bill.

"We wanted to offer something to them right in their neighborhood," Dining Services Marketing Manager Maeve Duska said of the new restaurant that is slated to fill much of the area vacated by Stouffer Commons. The diner's entrance will be situated on Spruce Street in the location of the former Campus Chemist, which closed in May.

With a seating capacity of approximately 50 and traditional diner offerings -- including milkshakes, burgers and fries -- the new diner is just one piece of the dining overhaul begun when food services company Aramark took over the University dining contract in the summer of 2002.

Changes since then have included two new cafe openings, the arrival of Subway, Chick-fil-A and Fresh‰ns Smoothies to 1920 Commons and the expansion of convenience store options both in 1920 Commons and McClelland Hall.

Currently, the interior of Stouffer Commons has been gutted and the initial phase of construction -- including the installation of exhaust systems through the Stouffer residence hall -- is complete, according to dining officials.

"We're working feverishly to get it done," Duska said, noting that the opening date is currently slated for late October.

According to the neighboring retailers, the construction of Triangle Diner has not interrupted their businesses.

Looking forward to the opening, Saladworks manager Nirav Vyas expects that the diner will draw student attention to his area of Spruce Street.

"It will help all the business on this corner," Vyas said. "It's more choices."

Yet Vyas -- as well as Beijing owner Alex Yuen -- noted that his future competitor did hold an advantage by accepting dining dollars from student meal plans.

"It'd be nice if we could do that, too," Vyas said.

However, Yuen added that he doesn't expect the new diner to noticeably detract from business.

Hoping to draw as many students as possible, dining officials say that much about the diner -- including hours and parts of the menu -- are open to change.

Currently, the diner is planned to be open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

"Over the course of the year, if we get feedback that it should stay open later... obviously we're going to be flexible," Dining Services Contract and Relationship Manager Laurie Cousart said.

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