Considering recommendations received last semester, Aladdin, the company that caters food for the university, has made some changes at One Main Cafe and Capital Grounds coffee shop.
One Main Cafe
One Main Cafe is one of the most popular spots on campus to hang out and study. It has a vast menu that includes made-to-order burgers, pizza and Starbucks drinks.
During the 2024 spring semester, Aladdin limited the number of drinks students could buy using their meal swipes to one. Formerly, students could purchase unlimited drinks if they totaled under $10 when using a meal swipe conversion.
This modification, according to feedback Aladdin received from students, short-changed students because if a drink totaled less than $10, their change could not be used on another item.
Liz Hernandez, director of dining services, said, “To avoid the confusion, we have limited meal swipes to actual food.”
This means that this year, no meal swipes can be used to purchase Starbucks drinks.
Another change Aladdin made is that commuter students can now use their D-block meal plan swipes at One Main.
Students can also expect a new, fresh menu at One Main. The menu from last semester has been condensed to make room for healthier options.
“We are implementing another section [of the menu]; we call it the dietary needs section. This section will have vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options,” said Hernandez.
To meet accommodations and requests, One Main will serve vegan tenders and new seasoned tofu.
New to the menu are also salad and rice bowls. Students will be able to customize their bowls with a base of mixed greens or rice, a protein, two toppings and a sauce.
Hernadez assures that the most popular items, like chicken tenders and BLTs, will remain on the menu. The only burger that will remain is the Stack burger.
The Farmer’s burger and other burger variations are no longer available. Likewise, the quesadilla will no longer be served either.
It remains that meal swipes cannot be used on retail items, such as sushi, bottled drinks and ice cream.
One Main Cafe is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 4:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Capital Grounds
Capital Grounds, more commonly known as Cap Grounds, is located on the first floor of Saylor-Ackermann Hall. They have also implemented changes to their hours and menu.
Hernandez said, “From 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. we have a light fair here (Main Dining Room). To give students another choice, Cap Grounds is going to extend their hours until 4:30 p.m.”
Last week, Cap Grounds sampled the hot food items that are new to the menu.
Cap Grounds will serve drinks, pastries and hot foods from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Claire Crabtree, a third-year nursing student, is happy about the extended hours. She said, “It’s more flexible with my class schedule. When they closed at 2 p.m., I was in class all the time, but now I can meet up with friends and go there.”
Henandez is excited to see how these changes will influence campus life.
She said, “This is new to us, but we listened to you all. The changes were made based on student feedback.”
Henandez encourages more recommendations. If students want to see a menu item return, it could become a weekly special.
