PULLMAN, Wash. — The beginning of the semester will bring more food options at the Compton Union Building, including an ‘all you can eat,’ a ‘grab and go’ and a Southern Skillet. Additionally, people using the Cougar Cash card will receive a 10 percent discount at food services around campus.
One of the reasons for the expansion of food services in the CUB is the remodeling at Wilmer-Davis dining hall this year, which will require around 700 students from the Hill halls to eat their meals at a different place, Lamar Patterson, director of Dining Services said.
“The remodeling of the dining halls is going to increase the number of people visiting the CUB during lunch time,” Patterson said. “That’s why we are spreading out in the building so people do not have to wait a long time for their meals.”
With the remodeling at the dining halls and Taco Bell closing its doors, new places where students, faculty and staff could have lunch were imperative. One of the big changes for fall semester is the remodeling of the Student Court. “We have increased the number of available seats, put in new carpet and done some remodeling,” Patterson said.
The new court will also offer dinner starting Aug. 18. The Student Court hours will be Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and Monday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
The CUB has more to offer for lunchtime this fall with a new ‘all you can eat’ at Butch’s Den. The menu will consist of a salad bar and pizza, pasta or burritos for $5.50 a meal. “The new place has a capacity of around 120 people, and it would be open for at least two years. Its continuation after that depends on how successful it becomes,” Patterson said.
There will be also a new ‘fresh to go’ stand at the CUB Auditorium. The new area will offer convenient items and prepackaged food for a fast meal. It will also have a few tables and chairs for those who want to sit and enjoy their lunch. Finally, the Lair at the CUB will have a new addition to the different options already available with a country cooking area called the Southern Skillet.
To increase the speed of its services and to encourage people to eat on campus, Dining Services has launched a campaign that gives a 10 percent discount to anyone paying with a Cougar Cash card. The promotion will last for a year and will continue if the results are favorable.
“We expect to see an increasing number of people using the card,” Paterson said. “This will bring good value to the consumer, but also to the services we can provide. It will translate into faster lines at the register.” The discount card can be used by students, faculty and staff and can be payroll deducted.
Students who are displaced from dining halls undergoing remodeling will receive a 40 percent discount at the Lair, Butch’s Den and the Student Court. “The reason behind the discount is that we have to accommodate students who have meal plans and would have to pay higher prices at the CUB than at their dining centers,” Patterson said.
For more information about Dining Services, contact Lamar Patterson, (509) 335-8704, ipatterson@wsu.edu.
