Plans for the dining service coming to Yeager Hall in fall 2025 are coming together, but are not set in stone according to Jennifer Novotny, assistant vice president for student life.
“This is in constant evolution,” Novotny said in an University Food Service Advisory Committee (UFSAC) meeting.
Simple Servings will not be included in the Yeager Hall dining service, as was originally anticipated.
“(Simple Servings) was one of the quick changes that we had to really look at because it really requires an entire kitchen of its own, and it added a lot of expense,” Novotny said. “We felt like the union could be a really good, safe bet because we have a strong kitchen performance area now back of house.”
Plans for what the space will be used for after next school year are not decided yet. Novotny hopes the space will serve some greater purpose once the Larson Commons renovation is completed.
“The idea is that we’re trying to build something that has some structural strength in it, so that it can be used, and the university doesn’t feel like, wow, now it’s just gonna sit empty,” Novotny said.
Finding a space that will be a centralized area for students and that will be large enough for a dining hall were the main reasons why the former print lab in Yeager was chosen for this project. Not disturbing classes happening on the second floor of Yeager is another priority of this project, according to Novotny. Yeager is home to the School of Communication and Journalism.
“We have a full academic program happening upstairs… that is something that we’re really, really trying to be conscientious about as we move forward,” Novotny said. “We have to understand what’s used upstairs, what’s in full-action, and how do we not impede the performance of everything that’s happening there.”
The restroom update happening in Yeager is not a part of the dining service project. University Facilities and Services is heading that project, and will make sure it happens “in unison” with the dining service project, according to Novotny.
“It’s not part of our dining project because it’s not part of the funds that make Larson happen,” Novotny said.
Novotny also gave an update on the Larson Commons project. Created with Love will be housed in the concept kitchen in the C-store on the first floor of Larson Commons. The C-store and Created with Love will be open in the fall, according to Novotny.
Matt Frederiksen, general manager of Sodexo has high hopes for the Yeager Hall dining service space.
“Booths, tables, will be all over the place. Artwork will be in here, television will be in here,” Frederiksen said. “We’re going to make it a place where you want to come here to eat. Instead of saying, ‘Aw, we gotta go to Yeager,’ it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s go to Yeager.’”
