TMCnet News
Two chain restaurants come to WarrensburgWARRENSBURG, Aug 21, 2009 (The Daily Star-Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Sodexo brings a residence hall food court and two chain restaurants -- Chick-fil-A and Einstein Bros. Bagels -- to the University of Central Missouri. A "soft opening" for the Todd Hall food court, called Westside Market, takes place Monday with a grand opening announcement to follow. Chick-fil-A is under construction in the university union with a September opening planned. Einstein Bros. is expected to open in October in the James Kirkpatrick Library. Sodexo is the university's food service contractor and is the franchisee for Chick-fil-A and Einstein Bros. Bagels. Sodexo would welcome community patrons to any of the new or existing dining facility, Sodexo Operations and Marketing Director Tracy Crow said Thursday. "We're very excited to be bringing all these new options to the university community as well as the Warrensburg community," Crow said. "Both the (franchise) brands do offer some new choices for all those customers." The company chose the new franchise restaurants -- in addition to existing franchises on campus, including Pizza Hut -- to meet student interest, she said. "We do extensive surveying of our students on preferences of foods that they would like to see and those two franchises came out very high," Crow said. Crow described the Westside Market as "a brand new, flagship, resident dining program." "(We) continue to be innovative and bring new things to campus," Crow said. Todd Hall renovation work to make way for Westside began June 1 and cost more than $3 million. "The new Westside Market will feature five restaurant-quality destinations with each providing exhibition-style cooking in an all-you-care-to-eat, set-price program," based on information provided by Crow. "The Westside Market will truly be a unique dining destination offering freshly prepared food in a vibrant new atmosphere becoming a showcase for UCM." The featured restaurants are... -- Flying Star Diner, described by Sodexo "as a contemporary twist on the nostalgic diner concept," offers grill items and comfort foods. "(It) is an all-day diner -- breakfast to order all day, as well as a grill with hamburgers and fries, and a traditional, diner-style, blue plate special," Crow said. -- Sodexo describes Magellan's as a state-of-the-art Euro kitchen featuring a 360-degree grill to celebrate the explosion of global cuisine. Asian, Mexican and other international foods will be available at the grill, Crow said. -- Bella Trattoria offers simple Italian dishes. "Pizza, pasta, calzones -- all that style" will be found at this food station, Crow said. -- Panino's Deli offers sandwiches custom made on fresh-baked bread, a format similar to submarine sandwich shops. -- Wild Mushroom is a salad bar that includes a chef who can provide a sizzling entree salad. "You could get a chicken Caesar or perhaps a fajita salad, or any type of special entree salad," Crow said. The Westside Market is similar to a dining mall. "We're having a grand opening in a couple of weeks," Crow said. Employees from Joe Coons Construction, Overland Park, Kan., are working on the Chick-fil-A. The restaurant is across from the bowling alley in space occupied last year by video games. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is a fast-food restaurant that specializes in chicken. The company mascot is a cow carrying a sign advising people to "Eat More Chikin." Chick-fil-A has more than 800 stand-alone locations nationally; stores in 368 malls; and more than 200 restaurants in non-traditional locations such as universities, airports and hospitals, based on company information. Einstein Bros. is set to take a spot in the foyer of the James Kirkpatrick Library. The restaurant will be to the left of the main entrance, in an area occupied by lounge chairs and a display case. Einstein Bros., based in Lakewood, Colo., has 300 locations. Based on company information, 12 licensed stores have opened so far this year and 20 more are planned. To see more of The Daily Star-Journal or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailystarjournal.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Daily Star-Journal, Warrensburg, Mo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |