By Paige Quiggins
Ever wonder where there is an endless amount of schmears?
Schmears, also known as cream cheese or fruit spreads, are one part of University of Louisville and Sodexo’s plan to meet student, faculty and staff demands through elevating the dining services with longer hours, better service and more locations. According to Sodexo Resident District Manager Matti Verder, one new venue, Einstein Bros. Bagels, will feature 14 types of bagels and 10 kinds of schmears.
According to Vice President for Business Affairs Larry Owsley, 20 percent of students reside on campus. That number may increase to 28 in the next two years and hopefully reach 32 percent by 2020 as planned.
According to Tom Jackson, Vice President for Student Affairs, students have requested better dining services, longer hours and more diverse locations. Additional housing is being constructed on the peripheral campus and students will be able to utilize facilities on campus instead of going elsewhere for food and entertainment. Jackson called the U of L Cardinals a “very strong family” and said the goal is to keep everyone in a pleasant learning environment.
“One of the things that we understand in a family is that when you are dining together you are talking about issues and engaging and learning outside of the classroom,” said Jackson. He hopes that faculty, students and staff will socialize more as a result of the new venues.
According to Owsley, Einstein’s, in Bingham Humanities, is one of the two venues which will be completed this summer. Damon’s Express will replace the Halftime Grill in the Student Activities Center and a to-be-named 10,000 square foot resident dining facility will be located in the bottom of University Tower Apartments. This establishment will finish construction in January with restaurants such as Flying Star Diner, Wild Mushroom, Magellan’s, Bella Trattoria and Panino’s. Verder said students can swipe their card once at the door and choose what they want to eat from any of the restaurants.
According to Sodexo marketing director Ryan Terry, business has also been booming at Heine Brothers’ Coffee where sales have increased by 20 percent since its transformation from Starbucks on April 13. Adding that McAlister’s sold 1,500 club sandwiches, 16,000 gallons of tea, 1,000 cookies and 2,000 spuds since its grand opening this month.
Verder said they have found students starting and ending their days in the later hours.
This has created a likelihood of increased hours for the venues and talk of 24-hour operations as well.
“In our industry, what we want to try to do is make sure we’re available for them at the times they want to buy these services,” said Verder. “Obviously there has to be a demand.”
According to Verder, hours between the new venues will vary, as some are geared towards breakfast and lunch and others are a place for a dinner or late-night snack. Verder also said a modest renovation will take place in the SAC Subway to improve its outdated appearance.
Coupons, information and feedback are available at www.uofldiningservices.com
