BY KEREN RIVAS ’04
NOT YOUR TYPICAL CAFETERIA
T
here was a time when memories of your college dining experience might have evoked images of drab cafeterias and flavorless food. It only takes a walk through some of the dining facilities on Elon’s campus today to realize that’s no longer the case. “We know student palates and lifestyles are changing,” says Karen Cutler, director of communications for ARAMARK, the leading provider of college dining in North America. “Today’s generation of students is more health conscious and really interested in what they are eating and where their food is coming from.” As new trends have emerged, the demand for fresher, healthier foods has increased at college campuses across the country. At Elon, this has resulted in offering a wider food selection and nowhere is this change more apparent than in Lakeside Dining Hall, which opened Feb. 4. The 38,000-square-foot, two-story addition to Moseley Center connects to the existing Irazu Coffee and features three stations that highlight locally inspired foods, home-style favorites and international cuisine with a different country represented each week. One can easily find paella and gazpacho on the menu one
week and Singapore spare ribs and char kway teow (stir-fried ricecake strips) the next. The dining hall also features the Winter Garden Cafe, which is home to Freshii, a Toronto-based restaurant chain that offers organically sourced, eco-friendly menu items including made-toorder salads, wraps, burritos, noodle bowls and soup. “There’s more food prepared in front of students than in the past, and with more dietary issues being addressed,” says Vickie Somers, director of auxiliary services at Elon University. “I’ve heard several students give this a rating of ‘A-plus.’” Another innovation is the Just4U: Food That Fits Your Life program, which helps students proactively manage their health and wellness goals by using colorful markers that make it easy to find selections lower in fat, calories and carbohydrates, as well as organic, vegetarian, vegan or locally grown foods. So what’s next for college dining? Around-the-clock service. “Not too long ago, a dining program would be three meals a day—breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, that’s no longer the case,” Cutler says. “Today’s students are busier than ever before and they are seeking quick, convenient options including 24-hour facilities, extended hours and more retail markets.”
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