It’s not your imagination – there is something different about the Culp Center’s Atrium food court. It’s Izzi’s, a Tex-Mex grill where hungry students can build their own burritos, tacos and nachos by choosing what toppings they want.
“It’s almost like Mexican [food] meets Subway,” said Chris Arthur, director of ARAMARK, the food services company ETSU contracts for campus dining services.
Arthur compares the new ARAMARK-concept restaurant to Moe’s Southwest Grill, a fast-food chain that’s made it’s way to cities like Knoxville and Chattanooga.
Izzi’s recently replaced Ben Pizza after years of lackluster sales plagued the pizzeria, said Arthur.
“The pizza just wasn’t moving. We were only selling 10 to 12 pizzas a day compared to the 180 pizzas we sold in the Main Meal,” Arthur said, referring to the Culp Center’s third-floor cafeteria. “The students just didn’t want [Ben’s] there.”
However, Arthur expects Izzi’s to score much higher in student’s books than Ben’s.
Of the students polled in an ARAMARK marketing survey, students continually requested “a Taco Bell or some kind of Mexican concept on campus,” Arthur said.
Besides, keeping it fresh is what pleasing students is all about, he said. “We try to do something new every year, and we do student surveys twice a year to see what they want.”
One person who is definitely happy with the change is ETSU junior Lindsey Tippens.
“I’m sick of Chik-fil-A, Quizno’s is too expensive, and I don’t eat sushi,” she said while waiting for the Izzi’s kitchen to prepare her food.
“It’s just something different,” said Tippens, who has eaten at Izzi’s twice and enjoyed the experience.
The Izzi’s menu gets straight to the point. Students can order a steak, chicken or VegHead “Big Ol’ Burrito” or “Li’l Ol’ Burrito”, depending on the level of hunger they feel, for $4.99 or $3.79, respectively.
Taco salads in a tortilla bowl go for about $4 or $5, and the nachos are similarly priced. Izzi’s also offers tacos, chips and other items.
Vegetarians will also find plenty of alternatives at Izzi’s and will be able to create their own delights with the plentiful array of items like black beans, pinto beans and Spanish rice, just to name a few.
Though it remains to be seen if Izzi’s will survive the fickle taste buds of the collegiate crowd or disappear into dust like Ben’s, Arthur has high hopes.
“The employees are already busier,” he said. “And we haven’t even got a sign yet.

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