The Marketplace food court in the CAW Student Centre has expanded its services to better meet the needs of residence students, says Dave McEwen, head of Food Services.
“We have introduced a number of changes, expanding our hours, our menus, and even our seating capacity,” McEwen says. “It’s all aimed at providing the best experience for our patrons.”
The cafeteria boasts an additional 90 seats and has extended its hours Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Homestyle station features many items that have proven popular, including turkey dinner with all the fixings, chicken parmesan with pasta, roast beef, and fish and seafood dishes. It operates on a five-week menu cycle for lunch and dinner.
The outlet offers four different soups each day, and the Marche Pasta station has added a weekly feature and signature sauce.
Special diets are a concern, says McEwen, and Food Services offers vegetarian and halal options at each meal. Bernie’s Grill now serves more items in these categories, including a new spinach and mushroom quesadilla. The pasta station uses halal beef for its meat sauce and serves whole wheat and gluten-free noodles.
“We want to be able to serve everybody and have all our students feel comfortable,” McEwen says. “Residence students who want to stay in Vanier Hall can grab a late breakfast or a quick lunch right there.”
The department has extended the hours of Vanier’s Crocodile Grill to serve breakfast from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., adding lunch items at 11 a.m. Patrons can also relax or eat in a new 60-seat annex just down the corridor, in the space formerly used as the Mini Mart.
“Extending the hours at the Croc gives our residence students more options,” says McEwen. “They can avoid lunchtime crowds at the Marketplace.”