For the thousands of empty stomachs that will be settling into campus and the surrounding area this week, ETSU Dining Services has a new look and new food that should please even the pickiest of palates.”We have undergone an extreme, exhausting, but good renovation at ETSU dining,” said ETSU Dining’s Marketing Manager Andrea Crawford.

The renovation began with brand new cooking equipment provided by the university, Crawford said. Then, Aramark, the company hired to provide food services within ETSU, began revamping spaces within the D.P. Culp Center, which hadn’t been remodeled in about five to seven years, she said.

First up for a makeover was “The Cave,” which is on the first floor of the D.P. Culp Center. Originally the home of coffee headquarters Java City, the area was stripped clean and rebuilt. Not only will coffee be served by a larger staff and a second espresso machine, but JC Barbeque as well as AFC sushi and hot bowls will be available, Crawford said.

“We added so much more for the students, which is great,” she said. “We divided up the locations so that way they have more space and more convenience.”

JC Barbecue will be prepared in the third floor kitchen and transported down to the restaurant, Crawford said. The menu includes pulled pork, beef brisket and chicken wings. There will also be several sides including coleslaw, potato salad, beans and cobbler.

Although barbeque is new to campus, Sushi has been a regular menu item at the Tree House near Brooks Gym for some time. It will continue to be served at both locations with the goal of eventually turning the Tree House into a small deli, Crawford said.

As for additional renovations, there should no longer be long lines at the Atrium – the food court located on the second floor of the D.P. Culp.

“Every location fortunately now has their own cash register so that student can get in and out of the location that they chose quickly,” Crawford said.

The Atrium’s menu has expanded to include an upgraded Chick-fil-A Express, some Mexican flair from Zoca and a new menu from the existing Grille Works. Also, Quiznos will stay put in its enclosed location adjacent to the Atrium.

Besides offering the basic Chick-fil-A nuggets and sandwiches, the express will offer a chargrilled chicken sandwich and wrap, plus a chicken salad sandwich. Another big addition is Chick-fil-A’s famous iced tea.

Zoca’s menu will be similar to Salsaritas, Crawford said. Students will place their order and choose toppings as it goes down the line.

Hamburgers will be Grille Work’s specialty. For those wanting smaller portions, the restaurant will offer “sliders,” which are similar to a Krystal burger, Crawford said.

“The thing about the Atrium is that each individual location specializes so there is no need to offer multiple products in one location,” she said. “It is all very focused.”

ETSU Dining Services has been listening to students’ needs as they answered surveys conducted in October 2008 and last spring.

Crawford said she has found that many of them are willing to spend between $4 to $6 for lunch. As a result, many of the proprietary brands will be offering $5 combos.

The D.P. Culp received its final and most extreme alterations on the third floor cafeteria or Market Place. Serving about 800 to 1,000 meals per day, this buffet-style restaurant has gotten new floors and countertops, both the pizza and sauté stations have been moved, and the bakery was rebuilt.

Crawford says that with rising resident numbers and the remodel, ETSU Dining Services is expecting an increase in sales.

“Now as we have better equipment to serve the students, I think that they will be much more drawn to go in there,” she said.

The brand new Centennial Hall Apartments will house the new Centennial Market. Accessible to all students, the market is a little smaller than the Bucmart located on the second floor of the D.P. Culp and will have grab-and-go items, hot food, a Mayfield cooler, groceries and Java City coffee.

“Centennial is our late-night option,” Crawford said. “It will stay open until 2 a.m. as long as we can validate that time frame and the students are using it.”

Centennial Market is just the stand-in name until students vote and the new name is revealed at the Sept. 15 grand opening.

The market will be the first food offered on the east side of campus.

“The Culp Center is a central location,” Crawford said. With the library and east side residence halls being so far over it always felt like we had a good location for the west side of campus but the east side was a little neglected.”

There are also some plans for an additional food location to pop up in the Sherrod Library.

“As long as nothing changes, Crawford said, “we are set to bring in the Einstein Bros. Bagels. That’s the plan as long as everything works out OK.”

The earliest students would see this addition would be this spring, but it may not be until the following spring, Crawford said.

As for new and returning students that have already signed up or may be interested in a meal plan, Crawford says the key is to know exactly how it works.

You can do that by going online to www.etsudining.com or calling Crawford at (423) 439-4389.

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