Preliminary plans call for fresh, new options; world fare
April 13, 2011 (Raleigh, NC)—NC State Dining is pleased to announce preliminary plans for foodservice in the new Talley Student Center, which will undergo renovation between 2011 and 2014. Many new dining options will be available as early as late 2013 when the first phase of the project is completed. NC State Dining has conducted numerous surveys and focus groups, and has hired a professional food service consultant to help determine the best dining options to include in the new Talley Student Center.
Plans call for a food court in an area of the building currently being referred to as “The Pavilion,” a fan-shaped addition on the Dunn Avenue side of Talley. It is expected to feature Mexican, pizza, diner and deli concepts.
“The focus is on freshly made items prepared your way, at a price point that works with our meal plans, in an atmosphere like no other, at times that students need,” said Randy Lait, senior director of hospitality services at N.C. State. “I envision the pizza concept with a large fire deck oven, and we’ll serve large slices of pizza. The Mexican venue will have freshly made burritos, salsa, and chips, and the deli will feature bread baked onsite.
“I’m especially excited about the diner concept,” he added. “It’s not going to be a 50s diner concept, it will be edgy and modern. We will be able to serve breakfast in the morning and late-night hours and serve burgers and other diner-type menu items during the day.”
Also opening in late 2013 will be a Marché-style restaurant featuring international flavors. Look for tastes from around the world, including Japanese, Korean, Thai, Mediterranean, and Italian in a chic, new-world setting.
“The “World Market” restaurant will be a little bit more upscale but still affordable. It will be a great place to relax and enjoy a meal when you have a little bit more time,” said Lait.
The new Talley will also have a large convenience store, more than twice the size of any other C-store on campus. This new store will have favorites like Howling Cow™ ice cream by the scoop, fresh sandwiches from our Wolfpack-To-Go program, snacks, and beverages.
When the rest of the building renovation/addition is complete in late 2014, NC State Dining will open another new restaurant on the Cates Avenue side of the addition, currently being referred to as “Cates Point.”
“This will be a smaller, more relaxed location with an amazing atmosphere. It will be centered around a dramatic brick oven for flatbread sandwiches and pastas, among other things. It’s going to be a great gathering place in the evenings, with open mic nights, live music and more. I think students are going to like it a lot, added Lait.”
Two coffee shops will also open in the second phase of the project: one at the lowest level Bookstore entrance; the other in the heart of the building.
NC State Dining continues to work with project planners to ensure the building is designed to accommodate the cooking equipment needed to provide world-class college foodservice at NC State University. Look for future updates on the planning at http://go.ncsu.edu/newtalley.
NC State Dining is a division of Campus Enterprises, the lead organization for retail and hospitality for NC State University. To learn more about Campus Enterprises, go to www.ncsu.edu/campusenterprises.
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Hi, I would like to recommend Orchid Thai Restaurant, this is the best thai restaurant in Aurora, Ontario
Hi Ladonna,
We will be featuring Thai food in our marche-style area which will not be “branded,” per se, but perhaps we can look at Orchid Thai and see what kinds of dishes they offer. What are some of your favorites? What do you love about Orchid Thai?
Jennifer
What about options for those who have severe food allergies? I, myself, have a gluten intolerance and can not simply survive on salads and baked potatoes, not only that but it’s not a balanced diet.
I live on campus, and have the right to eat on campus with my friends just like any other student. I want real food with real sustenance. Food prep employees need to be aware of cross contamination and proper food precautions. Please, classes are hard enough, I should have to worry about what I’m going to eat. And I certainly don’t want my university making it any harder.
We agree, Karin. We are working hard to meet the needs of our students with allergies; as a matter of fact, we are instituting a gluten-free station in Fountain Dining Hall this fall. The more we can do, the better. I know that allergies will be taken into consideration with the design of dining options in the new Talley.
Can you give a little more information about the gluten-free station? What does that exactly entail? That’s just a little vague. Also, with the staff really be trained in how to handle a gluten free area? Cross contamination is huge concern for me at dining halls. Gloves not being changed often enough, common serving equipment, cooking and prep areas are all sources of concern to me.
Hi Karin,
The gluten-free station will begin at Fountain Dining Hall in the fall. To begin, it will feature a toaster and gluten-free bread. The staff will be trained to handle a gluten-free area, but this will be more of a self-serve station. Staff will monitor the area to make sure it is used correctly.
We are hoping to expand, but this is what we’re starting with. Of course, we always have a gluten-free cereal available also.
Will there be any chain restaurants offered in the new Talley? I would strongly recommend checking out the food court at the University of Maryland. They have a very nice food court with different options like Chick-fil-a and McDonalds, as well as non-chain places such as the ones already discussed.
We will be glad to check it out! The plan is for this food court to be “state-of-the-art”…we visited VCU’s brand new marche-style dining facilities and will use that model for our world-market restaurant.