Upon returning to Emporia State from winter break, students were met with a series of changes to the Hornet’s Nest.
As part of its contract with the University, meal service provider Fresh Ideas promised to revamp the cafeteria and Hornet Express out of its own pocket. The University provided some guidance on potential changes to be made, the first of which were made over winter break. Fresh Ideas has spent approximately $390,000 on the alterations made over the break.
One new feature of the Hornet’s Nest is its layout. The central wall of soda machines and coffee dispensers has been knocked down in favor of a more open space. This change serves as more than just an aesthetic adjustment; it also creates more space for food.
“One of the main reasons they wanted to make the change was to enhance the salad bar,” said Carmen Leeds, Director of the Memorial Union. “The counter space part is a lot larger. And then they were able to add the new station, Epic Eats.”
Epic Eats had previously been incorporated into the cafeteria between the grill and the main line, but Memorial Union staffers saw that it went largely unnoticed by students. To increase visibility, it is now appended to the salad bar. The idea behind Epic Eats is that, except for breakfast (during which time the location functions as an omelette station), it serves a unique culinary offering every meal.
“Today, it was pasta,” said Leeds. “You could add shrimp or chicken or whatever. And then the other day, it was a build your own burrito. So it’s an action station where there’s always a cook there, and whatever you want is put together right then, exactly how you want it.”
The salad bar hasn’t been the only change to the Hornet’s Nest. The renovations also added a new deli cooler with more space, and there are now two panini presses in the cafeteria.
According to Leeds, the Memorial Union has received plenty of positive feedback on the changes.