Renovations and food concept changes underway as new dining complex is built
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Campus Dining has several changes in store for students this fall. With the new Vista Grande dining complex under construction, updates are being made to many of the university’s current dining locations to provide a variety of dining options in the interim. The new dining complex, which replaces the 43-year-old Vista Grande facility, will break ground in November and is set for completion in Fall 2018.
“As we strive to build a better dining experience for our campus community, we are fully committed to meeting all of Cal Poly’s dining needs throughout the transition,” said Lorlie Leetham, executive director for the Cal Poly Corporation and associate vice president of commercial services. “We are making some truly innovative upgrades to our current venues. Not only will these changes allow us to increase dining capacity, they will enable us to maximize and diversify our fresh, healthful food offerings for students, faculty and staff.”
The Avenue will extend its hours to serve the late-night crowd that traditionally dined at Vista Grande. In addition, The Avenue’s floorplan is being redesigned to accommodate more guests and an extra checkout station. Customers will also find a complete transformation of three of The Avenue’s former venues. Bishop’s Burgers, a California-style burger spot, will replace Fusion Bowl; Picos, a Cali Fresh Mex restaurant, will replace City Deli; and Zen Bowl, an Asian-style bowl restaurant, will replace Tapango’s.
The University Union will also see some changes as Ciao! restaurant gets a new look and a new name:Mustang Station. The restaurant will continue to serve pizza and calzones and will expand its menu to include appetizers as well as beer and wine for customers 21 and older. Connected to Mustang Lanes, Mustang Station will provide an on-campus hub for food, drink and entertainment.
Myron’s, a new white table-cloth restaurant, is also launching this fall and will be located upstairs in building 19. Named after Cal Poly’s founder Myron Angel, the spot will feature a rotational menu of fresh, local American cuisine. Another way Campus Dining will be growing its dining options is with the introduction of two mobile food trucks that will service different areas of campus throughout the day. The Central Coaster will serve seasonally-inspired, local food options; and a Starbucks© truck will also be on campus. Both trucks will be trackable via the Campus Dining Twitter handle and the hashtag #CentralCoaster and #starbucks, respectively.
Campus Market is being redesigned to allow for increased access and efficiency. The store is also enhancing its product mix to include a wider selection of fresh, whole foods and Cal Poly products, which will be featured at the front of the market for added convenience.
Sandwich Factory is also revamping its layout and will expand and customize its product offerings.
Leetham said that these changes were inspired by the university’s vision to provide world class facilities and services. “As Cal Poly continues to grow, we need to keep pace with the changing needs of the campus and our customers,” said Leetham. “We are devoted to supporting the university’s overall expansion efforts that will fuel the future for our students.” For additional information about the new Vista Grande dining complex, visithttps://www.calpolydining.com/newdiningcomplex/.
