The opening of the Food Court, formerly known as Moravian Cafes, has been delayed once again after an unexpected change in the lineup of vendors.
University officials now predict that the entire establishment, located at 3401 Walnut St., will be open by April 1 -- four months later than the previous estimate of Jan. 1.
Still, parts of the court are moving ahead more quickly. Quiznos, a new vendor at the eatery, is currently open. Famous Famiglia Pizza and Gourmet Ice Cream and Yogurt, which operated from the site before the construction, plan to re-open Friday.
Though a joint-operated Taco Bell and KFC was originally planned for the Court, officials decided last month to instead open a Taco Bell and A&W; combination. Construction of these eateries is still under way.
"It's a new concept that will add an additional amount of diversity to the food offerings," Director of Real Estate Operations Ed Datz said.
The court will also be home to a new CVS, which was originally set to open this spring and is still on schedule.
A&W;, which serves food such as burgers, hot dogs and chicken fingers, is a good addition to campus, Residences and Facilities spokesman Tony Sorrentino said.
"There's no place on the east side of campus to really get that kind of food," he said.
The Food Court was originally slated to open in October, but its expected debut was pushed back to Jan. 1 before this most recent delay was announced.
In predicting the April opening, however, University officials noted that they are not supervising the construction of the Taco Bell and A&W.;
"As a true independent vendor, Taco Bell/A&W; will be doing all their own construction," Datz said. "They have given us a schedule of when they're going to open, and their anticipation is the middle of March."
The exchange of KFC for A&W; is responsible for the additional construction delays, Datz said, adding that the new vendor combination must "go back to the drawing board."
The openings of Famous Famiglia Pizza and Gourmet Ice Cream and Yogurt were also slightly delayed, as they had hoped to open last week.
Famous Famiglia Pizza experienced a last minute equipment problem and Gourmet Ice Cream and Yogurt dealt with a construction delay involving its countertop, Datz said.
Despite setbacks, Famous Famiglia Pizza co-owner Harry Mentonis said he feels fortunate to be one of the five businesses chosen to be part of the facility.
"The focus is that we're happy to be here, and we're here with open arms," he said.
He acknowledged that delays are common in construction projects and added jokingly that he and his staff have been "playing golf" to pass the time.
However, due to the late opening, students living in Hill College House will not be able to make use of the eateries as much as they had hoped, Engineering freshman and Hill resident Raman Gupta said.
"The whole idea of Moravian Cafes is they are right outside Hill," he said. "It will be good for the freshmen next year."
