By Martin J. Kidston
The smell of roasted coffee beans, freshly baked bread and a host of other culinary delights will invigorate the senses starting this fall at Montana State University-Northerns food court.
With the power to alleviate the doldrums of academic stress, the new campus food court is in the final stages of a lengthy renovation project that, if all goes as planned, will be finished by Aug. 27, just four days before the commencement of the fall semester.
Director of Student Affairs Bill Lanier said the goal of the eclectic makeover is to get students to dine in at the campus food court.
The whole idea is to get more people to come in there, and wed like to make it more successful, Lanier said.
Lanier said the food courts visual renaissance will include an extended beverage bar and a more spacious dining facility. Brass rails will be installed to replace the laminated wood, and black formica will be laid. The cashiers station will be moved to a more convenient location and a splash of color may be tossed about to liven things up.
Were looking at adding more color and more design, but well wait until the students get back for their input, Lanier said. Well be sure to get more light in here, too, and make it more lively.
More light may help students see what theyre actually eating, and when they feast their eyes on the food courts latest, they might be surprised.
Well be giving them more of what they want, the more popular items, Lanier said. Well have an actual pizza display rack to make it more appetizing, and the deli sandwiches, theyve been popular, too. Theyre larger than Subways 12-inchers.
The food court will open with a smorgasbord of new rations. According to General Manager of Soduxho Marriott Food Services, Jason Degele, the food court will have a pizzeria, a grill for burgers and deep fried items, a deli where freshly baked bread will be sold, a presentation shelf and a Starbucks coffee station.
Degele said that MSU-Northern contracts to Soduxho Marriott for its food services. The company then gives a portion of its earnings back to the school, making such renovations possible.
