By CARRIE KENNINGTON
Morning classes are almost out and stomachs are growing louder. But by now, the lunch rush to the CougarEat already has some at the back of the line wondering if they should just get some chips and a soda from a vending machine instead.
Rather than going clear across campus or enduring lines at other places, some students take advantage of additional eateries including the Museum Caf?, the Marketplace Caf?, the Skyroom Restaurant and the Pendulum Court.
While these places all lure students and faculty with their menus, each one has a little something different to offer.
Through the doors of the Tanner Building is the Marketplace Caf?.
“It’s in a prime location,” said Synthea Atkinson, 21, a senior from Ontario, Ore., majoring in business. “You walk by the balcony and see the beautiful cinnamon rolls set up right there and you want one.”
The Marketplace Caf? is a little different because it offers breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m., while most other places serve only lunch.
While many of the patrons are those who have classes in the Tanner, there are others who have found out about the Marketplace.
“Tons of freshman come, but they also get a lot of business from the computer lab right there,” Atkinson said.
Some students even bring their laptops out to work while they eat
“It’s been well-received,” said Robert Smith, manager of the Marketplace since it started in April. “You catch an air of a sidewalks caf? type of thing there.”
Students a little closer to the bell tower can opt to go to the Museum Caf?.
Located in the Museum of Art, manager Smith said the Museum Caf? wasn’t always as busy as it is now. But since the menu was expanded, the number of patrons has jumped considerably.
“Now we have another challenge — we wish we could make it bigger,” Smith said, which is kind of hard since it is located on a balcony.
“It’s a nice place to eat because of the ambiance of the museum,” said Nita Smith, a supervisor at the Museum Caf?.
The caf? also tries to offer a little something different than the conventional soup or salad.
“We have an international flair in our menu,” she said.
The Skyroom Restaurant on the sixth floor of the Wilkinson Student Center also offers international menu items at times, but it is the only sit down eatery on campus with servers. It is even open Friday nights.
Jessica Christenson, who has been the manager of the Skyroom for three and a half years, said it has gone through three renovations since its beginning in 1964. The crowds have also changed over the past few years.
“The biggest change was when it went to Dining Plus,” she said. “There are a lot more students.”
Christenson said along with students, there are a lot of faculty and off-campus guests who eat there.
One regular is Andrew Harris, 18, a freshman from Kirtland, Ohio, majoring in computer engineering, who comes with his friends living in Deseret Towers.
“I go there religiously every week after the devotional for the devotional buffet … Monday night we go around and get a count of everyone who wants to go and I call in the reservation,” he said.
Having a Dining Plus card definitely helps, though.
“The only reason why we can do it is because of Dining Plus. Otherwise we couldn’t afford it,” he said.
Students who want to go for food that is a little more affordable could also try the Pendulum Court.
The food is produced at a cheaper price since it is part of a student lab class dietetics majors must take, so no labor costs are involved.
“It’s really unique,” said Julie Duncan, an instructor for the class. “It’s very real-life. The students get to be a cook, a manager … they get to see it all.”
And the patrons seem to appreciate it.
“It’s good, it’s close to my classes, it’s healthy and relatively inexpensive,” said Jessica Chudleigh, 20, a junior from Park City, Utah, majoring in physical therapy.
“You make reservations online in advance so there’s no long lines,” she said. “It’s very convenient.”
Well, maybe not as convenient as a vending machine, but hopefully a little more filling.
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