Dining hall dishes fresh look

Students may recall a survey over the summer in regard to a new name for the ETSU dining hall, the Marketplace. While a new name is still being considered for the dining hall, it’s not the most dramatic change to campus dining.

As part of the ongoing D.P. Culp Student Center renovations, the dining hall was renovated over summer break. The changes were made as more students have meal plans due to the university’s requirement for campus residents, and the updates include expansion, resurfacing and more dining choices.

“This has gotten done first because it is absolutely a priority for our campus to be able to feed our students, … so we want them to have a great experience when they’re doing it,” said Leah Adinolfi, assistant dean for student engagement.

The dining hall opened on Wednesday this week for students participating in Quest, Preview and residence hall move-in weekend. Due to construction, the Sodexo staff was not able to serve practice meals in the renovated hall. Instead, they served the biggest meal of the pre-semester during Wednesday’s lunch.

“That’s a pretty big deal, and we are very grateful to them for being flexible in that way,” Adinolfi said.

A celebration of the renovated space will take place Aug. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a dedication by ETSU President Brian Noland, entertainment by Buctainment, giveaways and more.

Returning students may notice a considerable increase in the dining hall’s size. The space gained 22,674 square feet, making it a total 37,603 square feet. The area now expands to where the former East Tennessee room was located as well as over the amphitheater by balcony seating. The balcony will open later in the semester, but can be seen already from inside the dining hall.

The dining hall opened with new tables this week, but old chairs are still in place until the new ones arrive. All new furniture will be in place by mid October, according to Adinolfi.

The new space offers ten serving stations, doubling the offerings from spring semester. Some of the stations include all-day breakfast, a deli, locally-sourced produce, a grill and gelato. The dining hall also offers traditional, vegan, gluten-free and allergen-free options. Each station also has digital menu boards that are updated each day with meal choices.

Adinolfi said the new space should bring a sense of community to campus.

“I think it will be a space where students will want to gather,” Adinolfi said. “It has such a nice feel about it. It’s bright. It’s open. It feels like a great place to just get together with friends for a meal.”

In addition to dining, it will also be a space for programming. Special considerations have been made to ensure there is space and setups for group performances and speakers in the dining hall.

A new ADA-accessible ramp was created as a temporary solution for dining hall access until an elevator is operating in the Culp Center. The ADA ramp is located on Seehorn Drive beside the Ballroom ramp, which serves as the main dining entrance. Additionally, students who are not able or have difficulty entering the dining hall can call ahead and have meals prepared for pickup at Einstein Bros. Bagels in Sherrod Library. Students wanting to use this option may call the dining services team at 423-439-4389.

Over 2,000 people responded to the summer survey about potential names for the space. The most popular choice by voters was “Bucs Café,” but many students reported they prefer calling it a dining hall.

“We got some good ideas,” Adinolfi said. “One of the ideas was to call it the ‘Gulp Center.’ I thought it was hilarious.”

The dining hall name will be chosen at a later date. If the dining hall name is changed from the Marketplace, the new name will be revealed at the grand opening set for later in the semester.

The dining hall is open 7 a.m. to midnight seven days a week during the academic semester.