By WENDELL WOOD
So, you’re hungry and still don’t know where to go? How about trying the Cougareat Food Court? With choices like Subway, Taco Bell, The Scoreboard Grill and Pizza Hut, there is bound to be something to satisfy everyone’s appetite.
The Cougareat offers a large variety of dining choices, including ice cream and pastries, Chinese food, home-style cooking, pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches and even pancakes, eggs and omelets if you get there early enough in the morning.
Aug. 6, 1997, the new and improved Cougareat Food Court reopened its doors to hungry BYU students. Since that time, sales in the Cougareat have increased dramatically.
“Transactions have definitely increased,” said Mitch Smith, director of the Cougareat Food Court. “It is just a very convenient location for the students.”
According to Smith, the mission of the Cougareat is to operate as an effective facility providing quality goods and services to the university community in an environment of continuous improvement.
After two years in its temporary place — the Wilkinson Center Ballroom — the change back to the Cougareat’s former location was definitely an improvement.
“I like the remodeling that they did,” said Jessi Gleason, a senior from Montana majoring in print journalism. “It makes campus appear more modern to have a food court instead of a cafeteria.”
The Cougareat serves BYU faculty as well as the students. On a typical day the Cougareat averages more than 5,000 transactions. However, during conferences at BYU such as Education Week, Smith said the number of transactions per day almost triples.
One of the major goals of the Cougareat is to compete with local off-campus food services. It tries to give better service at a comparable price, making it more convenient for students and faculty. The Cougareat gets some help in these areas from local restaurants as well as the major national chains. Employees that work in Taco Bell, Subway and Pizza Hut receive the same training that is received by employees that work at the locations outside of BYU.
If those books start getting heavy and you can hear your stomach louder than the lecture you are attending, head over to the Cougareat Food Court. The hardest part is choosing what to eat once you get there.
