New grab-and-go dining

This fall, students looking to dine on the Hilltop will noticemultiple changes across campus.

According to Director of Auxiliary Services Julie Wiksten, thesechanges will include everything from a Subway in the Hughes-TriggStudent Center to renovated stations in the Umphrey-Lee DiningCenter.

“Dining Services can never ‘stand pat,'”Wiksten said. “If we are not always tweaking our program torespond to our customers, then we are not doing ourjobs.”

For this reason, alterations will be made at a number of dininghot spots across campus, beginning in the hub of student life, theHughes-Trigg center.

“When students return in the fall, there will be a newSubway in The Mane Course at Hughes-Trigg,” Wikstenexplained.

“This is a great quality branded item and it should bevery popular with our customers.”

As modifications are made this month, The Mane Course will ceaseoperations for the remainder of the summer, replaced byMontague’s, which will be temporarily housed opposite the SMUPost Office in Hughes-Trigg.

When all is said and done, The Mane Course will offer Subway andChick-Fil-A.

As construction on The Mane Course comes to a halt, thetransitory Montague’s location will be transformed into aCyber Café/Java City Café, with food included.

“Because of its location,” Wiksten said, “ithas the potential of being open 24 hours a day if the demand callsfor it.”

Dining Services hopes for the new café to open by January2005.

“By fall 2005, another Java City [Café] will openin the new Dedman Recreational Center,” she explained.

“Around Thanksgiving, we are planning on renovating TheMarket into a real convenience store, with lots ofgrab-and-go,” Wiksten said.

The choice to revamp the Hughes-Trigg center was made fromstudent feedback, Wiksten explained.

“Students like things made to order, like coffee and quickthings in some locations, [while] lingering with friends in otherlocations,” she said.

“Longer hours and convenience were just some of [therequests] we heard,” she continued.

“Around Spring Break,” Wiksten explained, “wewill be completely renovating Umphrey Lee to make it morestation-focused.”

That is, the dining center hopes to offer a more defined anddiverse array of options in Umphrey Lee.

“This is the next step for Real Food on Campus(RfoC),” Wiksten said.

Dining Services also plans to make improvements at Mac’sPlace, located on the first floor of McElvaney Hall.

As with most modifications on campus, renovations stem fromstudents’ responses to dining surveys, as well as generalfeedback.

“Changes are being made to respond to customer needs andrequests,” Wiksten said, “and to keep the conceptsexciting and fresh.”

She continued, “We hope students and other guests love thechanges. We hope they recognize that we are listening to them andcare about their dining experiences.”

Dining Services also hopes to bring those not affiliated withSMU to have a meal on the Hilltop.

“Whether to buy a meal plan or shop in our retail outlets,we want our customers to stay on campus to eat,” Wikstensaid. “We want to try and attract our non [regular] customersas well.

“In other words,” she continued, “we wantthose folks who have never tried us or don’t frequent usoften to become a frequent customer.”

Any questions regarding the changes should be directed to theDining Services Administrative Office at (214) 768-2367, with themost up-to-date information available on www.smudinning.com.

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