College Coffee doubled as the grand opening of The Colonnades dining hall as university leaders and ARAMARK officials on Nov. 6 thanked staff members who worked for years to design and build the “cutting edge” building.
The style of the Colonnades, Elon’s first new dining facility since 1968, is a departure from other facilities on campus. Insulation and ceiling tiles are made, in part, with recycled materials, and occupancy monitors reduce energy when spaces are not in use. Appliances installed in the building comply with the EPA’s Energy Star Program. Unused food is donated to the local Fishes and Loaves pantry.
The Colonnades uses no trays, which cuts back on the amount of food wasted each day. It uses paper bags instead of plastic. And the building will be cleaned with environmentally compliant products.
“It represents another in a long line of forward-thinking and innovative facilities to support the student experience here at Elon,” Gerald Whittington, the university’s vice president for business, finance and technology, said during the ceremony. “To say this has been a hit is a tremendous understatement.”
Both Lambert and Whittington thanked ARAMARK, Elon’s food service provider, for the company’s partnership with the university and its role in helping to plan and build the dining hall. ARAMARK executives were on hand to help cut the ribbon that spanned the front entrance to the building.
“This is a wonderful place,” Andrew Kerin, executive vice president for ARAMARK, said of Elon University during his remarks. Kerin’s son attends Elon, too, and he called the university’s growth over the past decade an amazing accomplishment. “We (at ARAMARK) are proud to be a part of that transformation.”
Dining options at the Colonnades include the following:
1889 Grill Room: A full-service restaurant that serves gourmet burgers, steak and seafood.
Isabella’s: An all-you-can eat location with menu items from around the world, several of which are prepared on a Mongolian grille.
Tuscany: Another all-you-can-eat location, Tuscany features Mediterranean cuisine and a fire stone oven for pizzas.
Bread Basket: Hot breads, sandwiches and soups are the specialties here, along with a variety of soups and desserts.
Fountain Market: Organic and locally grown products are sold in the first-floor grocery mart, where items are sourced from the same vendors as Whole Foods.
Boar’s Head: Located in Fountain Market, the Boar’s Head deli features premium meats, cheeses and sandwiches.
Croutons: Also located in the Fountain Market, Croutons dishes up fresh tossed salads.
The dining hall has been open to Elon students, faculty and staff since mid September.