Hours extended and menu expanded at several locations
For those students who say USC doesn’t care, Bates Diner will now give you a free cupcake on your birthday.
It’s just one of the numerous changes Carolina Dining has made across campus in the hope of making students’ eating experiences more diverse, convenient and enjoyable.
In the Grand Marketplace, Dining’s nexus located on the first floor of the Russell House, the number of seats has been increased from 420 to 570 to accommodate the largest freshmen class yet.
Bar-style seating facing the Thomson Student Health Center has been added and larger seating has been removed. Electrical outlets have been added throughout the area for laptop plug-in.
“At those longer booths we had before you would see one or two people sitting,” said Robert Coffey, residential district manager for Carolina Dining. Coffey added that the minor new construction used recycled materials that saved money.
A pancake bar has been added to the brunch at the Grand Marketplace on Saturdays and Sundays.
And if you miss brunch, breakfast options have been added to the Horseshoe Deli’s late night menu.
Freshens, a yogurt and smoothie vendor located next to Horseshoe Deli, has begun to sell ice cream under the banner “On the Rock.”
“It’s the first time we now have ice cream that fits on the meal plan, because Marble Slab does not fit,” said Cynthia Steele, Carolina Dining marketing manager . “That was another part of the feedback we got back from students.”
Due to student demand, Mein Bowl, an area that serves Asian cuisine, has been added to the hot line in the Grand Marketplace. Items popular among students, such as the chicken wings, have been moved from the hot line to the newly-dubbed “Ballpark Grill.” The burrito line has been moved to Monday for “Mexican Mondays.”
The Simply To Go area in the Grand Marketplace has increased in size and is being stocked more frequently.
“Time is very important,” Steele said. “We’ve tried to be as efficient as we can.”
The Grand Marketplace has also received new single-piece to-go boxes that are made in the U.S. out of compostable materials. Last year’s to-go boxes consisted of plastic lids and plate bottoms and were criticized by students for coming apart too easily. The new boxes, however, seem to have problems as well.
“It’s a very flimsy and tends to leak,” first-year history student Steven Kucklick said, holding up his box to show a brown liquid dripping out.
Also, prices for some items at the Grand Marketplace have been decreased. It is now only $1.29 for the 20 oz. drink cup, less than what the removed 16 oz. cup cost. The grilled chicken sandwich at the Ballpark Grill has also dropped a dollar.
Dining has also made changes at several other eateries on campus. Bates Diner, a buffet-style cafeteria at the bottom of Bates House, has added a Simply To Go area so students can pick up food between meals.
At the Colloquium Café near Gambrell and Humanities you can now get your sandwiches heated. Café Verde, a healthy eatery and convenience store located in West (Green) Quad, has had its hours extended on Sundays until 3 a.m.