Taco Bell is slated to finally open on campus next week, nearly six months after the original completion date.
The Taco Bell, together with an A&W;, will be the last vendor to open inside the Food Court, the eatery at the corner of 34th and Walnut streets.
Quiznos, Famous Famiglia Pizzeria and Gourmet Ice Cream and Yogurt are currently open in the space formerly known as Moravian Cafes. Renovations to the site have been repeatedly delayed this school year.
Penn Facilities and Real Estate officials met with the Food Court's private operator Monday to discuss the progress of the Taco Bell/A&W;, Facilities and Real Estate Services spokesman Tony Sorrentino said.
Because construction is in the hands of a private operator, the University has had little control over when Food Court eateries open, Sorrentino said, adding that University officials have been "waiting patiently" for the new vendor.
Sorrentino said the University was expecting the Food Court to be complete a few weeks ago; delays came as a result of the last-minute decision to add an A&W;, which serves standard American fare like hamburgers, rather than a KFC.
He added that the licensing and approval processes for retail vendors can be long and complex.
Sorrentino said he is glad the Food Court will be completely open in time for the end of the semester and what he called "the high season for retail."
"We're looking forward to getting it in there," he said, adding that it will add "a lot of vibrancy to that corner" of campus.
A CVS pharmacy is also expected to open next to the Food Court by the end of the semester, Sorrentino added.
College freshman Dave Farber, who lives in Hill College House across from the Food Court, said construction was delayed so long that he and his friends won't be able to take advantage of it.
"Maybe next year I'll go," he said. "For us, it kind of sucks," since it is already the end of the year.
He added that he and his friends used to "talk about how great it was going to be to go late at night to Taco Bell," but they don't talk about it much anymore because of the delays.
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