By Victor Porter | Contributing Writer
With students juggling school, social lives, jobs and extracurricular activities, the Grab and Go meal option has become a staple in their daily diets. Soon, they will be able to enjoy these quick and convenient meals in style.
The popular dining option, located in the lower level Loft in Butler Hall, is getting a makeover.
“We wanted to give the students a better overall dining experience,” said Ralph Pfremmer, founder and CEO of Pfoodman, the company which provides the dining services offered on campus.
“The school was in complete support, which made it easy to get the process started quickly.”
The remodeling of the Loft will include a new paint job, all-new carpeting, as well as complete refurnishing.
The anticipated date for the arrival of the new furniture is in February, and the Loft updates are expected to be completed soon after.
“[Grab and Go] is very popular. It was so full that there were students sitting on the floor in the Loft. More seating will be a great addition,” said senior Nadara Bunch.
There will be a few changes on the outside of the Loft as well, including a new monitoring system of surveillance cameras.
These cameras will be used as an increased safety measure for students.
In addition to the remodel, the breakfast services being offered in Butler Library will be moving over to the Loft as well.
“The reasoning behind the move was that we felt the library should be a library. And with hundreds of students utilizing the Grab and Go breakfast every day, it was beginning to disrupt the quiet study environment,” Pfremmer explained.
Over the years, the Loft has been somewhat of a campus chameleon, changing its colors from a recreational area with basketball courts, to a meeting center, to a place for spiritual groups and more, before eventually becoming the home to Grab ‘n Go.
Each dining center is designed to give students a different experience and functional options to fit within their schedules. Perhaps relocating breakfast into one central location will make for a better, more streamlined system.
“Grab ‘n Go is always a shorter wait than the other options. It’s really convenient,” said junior Esther Gusov.
Pfremmer said they will continue to improve on the Loft as they go and will get feedback from students to see what is and isn’t working. The regular Monday through Friday hours of operation will remain the same, with students still being able to get in, grab what they need and get back on the go between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
