The Cave reopened Friday, cleaned, sanitized and prepared for service.
Last Friday, a drain pipe from Aramark’s Main Meal operation broke, spilling food waste and diluted chemicals into the popular student hang-out.
The Cave closed that day and was cleaned up and repaired over the weekend. A four-inch piece of pipe had to be replaced and cleaning was handled in-house with the use of bleach and “bleach water.”
The Cave reopened last Tuesday, only to be closed again the following Wednesday. Though clean, the eatery still had an overbearing odor that drove away students and made some workers sick.
Wednesday night, a professional cleaning company, Service Master, came in and deodorized the room. The Cave was allowed an additional day to air out before it was reopened.
According to Charlie Wittman, assistant director of food services, all of the workers are fine and the Cave is back to normal. “Everything is cleaned up,” Wittman said. “There is some lingering odor, but that should dissipate in a couple of days.”
There were few students in the Cave Friday afternoon, but those who were there felt that everything was almost back to normal. One student, Danny Monahan, was glad that the Cave reopened.
“It’s nice to have a place on campus where I can come and eat after a late-night class,” Monahan said. He also said that he could hardly notice the smell.
The Cave has returned to its regular schedule.
It is open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

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