East Side Dining will be hosting its grand opening on Nov. 14, presenting a number of new food court style options.
The dining hall will be introducing “retail concepts,” including a southwest eatery, an Italian express station, multicultural food choices and a convenience store – all on a staggered schedule during its first week of opening. The staggered schedule, according to an email sent by Campus Dining on Nov. 10, is intended to account for “effective staff training and adjustments based on student feedback.”
The Halal NY food station will be adhering to strict halal food requirements, including supplies and preparation methods, all of which have been approved and reviewed by the university’s Islamic chaplain. Additionally, the new initiative is intended to bring to campus a greater variety of palatable tastes, similar to those offered in Mediterranean and Southeast Asian countries. These offerings are “gyros, falafel, tandoori chicken and salmon, kabobs, rice, bowls, naan sandwiches, pizza, and vegetarian and vegan options,” according to the Faculty Student Association website. The Southwest selection will bring back old school favorites like the greatly missed burritos, as well as newer Tex-Mex dishes of tacos and rice bowls. The deli will be bringing the crossover quesadini to dining tables as well. The new dish is a quesadilla-panini hybrid. Also new to the Kosher menu are grilled chicken wraps, Philly steak sandwiches and Texas Wrangler burgers.
Campus Dining has stated that East Side Dining will be fully operational by Nov. 30. The team has revealed a timeline of when each food concept is scheduled to open, the earliest being the deli at 9:00 a.m. Monday Nov. 14. FSA will be moving its campus headquarters to the new dining location and will be open to students and staff Nov. 14. The same take-out/dine-in options currently available in eateries across campus will be featured.
With the opening of East Side Dining comes the official Nov. 22 closing date of Union Commons. Union Starbucks’ last day of service will be Nov. 29, while construction continues on the Melville Library Starbucks scheduled to open Jan. 23.
Clarification: Nov. 14, 2016
A previous version of this story reported that the new dining hall would adhere to strict halal food requirements. The story has been updated to clarify that just the Halal NY food station — not the entire dining facility — will adhere to these guidelines.
