Dining upgrades
More changes are made to broaden choices on campus
Liberty dining continues to raise the bar in its dining options that now include, a drive-thru at Doc’s Diner, Auntie Anne’s and more.
According to Casey Guise, unit marketing coordinator for Sodexo, the motive for the recent addition of a drive-thru at Doc’s Diner was convenience.
“A drive-thru is an asset to that location that hopefully faculty, staff (and students) find very helpful. … They can order their meal online, drive over to Doc’s and pick up their meal without having to leave their vehicle,” Guise said.
Guise emphasized that it is a unique feature and not many colleges can boast a drive-thru.
“We are definitely at the cutting edge, which is where we would like to be across the board with our dining program,” Guise said.
Guise said Liberty was rated the No. 1 campus-dining hall in the nation, and it has a clear vision and voice when it comes to making necessary changes.
“The rating came about because of the innovations … that we implement here in the dining hall … from what the actual menu is to how it is prepared and then how it is presented,” Guise said.
Snacks — Students have begun to enjoy the new additions to the Tinney Café. Photo credit: Michela Diddle
A recent innovation that was just introduced this semester is the Smash’d burger station in the Reber-Thomas Dining Halll. Guests are able to see their burgers being cooked right in front of them. They are also able to choose from a wide array of toppings to put on the burgers.
Liberty dining is proactive when responding to students’ suggestions. Guise said breakfast is now served all day in the dining hall because of the feedback from students.
He said that in addition to all-day breakfast, students will notice that the chef’s table by Lunchbox features chef creations every day. Liberty dining prioritizes culinary variety, and their commitment helps the university receive recognition.
“We start a new semester, and we raise the bar,” Guise said.
Liberty dining added Auntie Anne’s as another venue for students wanting a snack. To celebrate it’s grand opening, Auntie Anne’s distributed free pretzels on Thursday, Sept.3. Wing Street also announced its grand opening the same day.
Another addition to Liberty dining is Farmer’s Field, which has replaced Simply to Go in the Tilley Center. It is a tossed-to-order salad location.
“It prioritizes local in-season food,” Guise said. “We are not straining the farms to produce out-of-season produce, and we are also sourcing greens from (the) … campus farm.”
The final addition to Liberty dining is the Cravings food truck. Cravings began serving food Aug. 24. It will be located all around campus Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner as well as home football games. Students will be able to find its location by using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“We at Sodexo want Liberty’s campus to be exceptional,” Guise said. “We have that goal all the time.”
Sherrill is a news reporter.