The plans for the renovation of the Rathskellar that have been in the works for years have finally been completed and approved, with work expected to start on December 21 and be completed by January 17. The renovation will consist mostly of ambience changes, especially in terms of the seating areas, and will be accompanied by improvements, not changes, in the type of food offered. The final price tag for the project is expected to be around $540,000, with Sodexho paying for the project in full.
“We tried to listen to what the students had to say instead of building something the students wouldn’t like,” said Sodexho Resident District Manager John Fusco, in explaining how the renovation plan was decided. He explained that they had originally intended to take on a much larger project, but feedback from students led to a smaller-scale renovation.
The largest changes that will be seen affect the seating space on the first floor of the Union. First off, the entire area will be enclosed by half-walls with glass and planters to separate it from the hallways and give it a more “restauranty” feeling that Fusco said students felt was sorely lacking in the space.
The current tables and chairs will be entirely replaced with new tables, in addition to several round and square booths that will fit six to eight people. Bar seating will also be available, and each of the fixed tables will feature Ethernet ports and power sockets. One side of the area will also feature “soft-seating” such as sofas and chairs.
The lighting in the area will also be changed. Students who supplied suggestions felt that the lighting should be reduced to a “cozy darkness,” as Fusco called it, and the color scheme changed. “It will be more earthy colors than the hospital gray that it is now,” he continued. The tiles and carpeting will follow this scheme, as will the black ceiling.
“The bottom line is that people are going to notice an ambience difference,” Fusco said. “It will be more comfortable, more customer-friendly.”
Fusco also said that the Hospitality Services personnel who were evaluating the area had intended to change the food offerings, but met with strong opposition from the students they spoke with. The food will for the most part stay the same now, though the look of the counter space will also change.
Sub-Connection will be the Sodexho brand handling the sandwiches, described as similar to Subway but much better quality, while Fire and Spice will serve pizza with a Sbarro feel. Grill 55 will handle the grilling services, and Fusco expects that it will be much better than the grilling services currently offered. “New and exciting options will be brought in every month, as opposed to our current grill, which is kinda stagnant,” he said.
Original plans had called for only these three areas, but illicited an outcry from the students who reviewed it, who demanded that the Cyber Wraps station be kept as a healthy alternative to the other foods offered. It will be kept mostly the same but will be “rejuvenated” from where it is now, according to Fusco.
The last new feature in the food services will be “combo-ing” with drinks and sides as well as bimonthly “limited time offers” at every station. Fusco explained that these will offer better value to the customer and try to change things around so that the menu is not the same every time a customer visits.
President of the Union Peter Baldwin ’06 and the rest of the Executive Board have been working with Sodexho for years in planning this project, and particularly over the past few months finalizing the plans. He said that he has been very impressed with the feedback system that was in place throughout the project, with student input asked for again and again on every draft of the project. “They’ve been extremely reactive to feedback,” he said.
Fusco and General Manager Paul Keck are confident that all the changes will be completed by the time the Spring semester starts, but they are developing contingency plans for serving customers in the event that it is not completed when classes restart on January 17.
“We are trying to do a major project in a short time, and especially with the holidays there could be a delay,” Fusco explained.
“It’s an aggressive schedule,” agreed Keck, continuing that they are “at the mercy of the suppliers getting the stuff to us.”
In the event that the Rathskellar is not ready in time, the McNeil Room food service area will be opened from 8 am until 2 am each day to handle the demands of the students, faculty, and staff. The grill and pizza will be moved up so that the food options stay the same, and Fusco expects that the only problem will be space constraints at lunch.
“We’re changing the face of campus,” Fusco concluded. “We’ve gotten some great feedback and we’re happy. We’re going to continue that quest with the McNeil Room.” Fusco declined to elaborate on the plans or timeline for McNeil Room changes, saying that nothing is certain and that there may be a much larger project that will be undertaken first.
