Washington State University Dining Services has begun a multi-year renovation of Southside Café that will modernize the space while delivering critical infrastructure upgrades to one of campus’s most heavily used facilities. The project represents phase one of a planned three-phase renovation, with future phases dependent on additional funding and approval.
The Southside Café, often referred to as the Rotunda, is the largest dining center on campus. Its staff served an average of 2,500 students per day and over 258,000 meals during fall semester 2025.
Construction started during spring break, with work ramping up now that most residential students have left for the summer. Southside Café is closed throughout the summer and will reopen for fall semester 2026.
While the refreshed look and updated layout will be noticeable to students, Dining leaders emphasize the work goes far beyond cosmetic improvements. Operating since 1961, the facility requires significant updates to core systems and back-of-house operations to support modern dining needs and future service models.
“This is about much more than aesthetics,” said Jason Butcherite, director of Dining Services. “We’re making critical investments in infrastructure and operations that will allow us to better serve students now and adapt to future changes in dining.”
We’re making critical investments in infrastructure and operations that will allow us to better serve students now and adapt to future changes in dining.
Jason Butcherite, director
Dining Services
Washington State University
Phase one improvements will include relocating and upgrading key service areas to improve flow and efficiency. The pizza platform will move to a central location, joined by stations for fresh salads, sandwiches, continental breakfast items, and desserts. The dishwashing area will be relocated closer to the kitchen, and the upstairs restrooms will also be moved and modernized. A new Latin-cuisine station will be added as part of the reconfiguration.
The renovation reflects student feedback collected through surveys and focus groups conducted with the help of a dining consulting firm and additional outreach led by Dining Services. Insights from that work helped guide decisions on layout, food offerings, and service flow.
“That research gave us insights into the current student experience and played a big role in how we are reconfiguring the space to maximize efficiency for students,” Butcherite said. “Every time our team looks at the renovation sketches, we remark about how beautiful and modern the space will look when it’s all completed. We think students are going to love it.”
Improving efficiency is a top priority
Improving efficiency, especially during peak dining hours, is central to the redesign. The updated layout will help reduce congestion and better distribute traffic across multiple serving stations. Butcherite said these changes are critical in preparation for another big change coming to all the dining centers in 2027 — moving from an à la carte system to an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal plan.
During the café’s closure this summer, Butcherite said Dining Services will provide food for students participating in New Coug Orientation and other conferences at its two other dining centers.
The last time Southside Café was last significantly updated was in 2007. The distinctive circular structure was built as part of multi-building project that also constructed Gannon and Goldsworthy Halls.
Junior Marissa Williams, executive president of the Residence Hall Association and a member of the Living on Campus Advisory Board, said students are looking forward to the improvements.
“Southside is a really important gathering place for students,” Williams said. “These updates will make it more functional and more in line with what students expect today.”
Supporting core operations behind the scenes
In July, Dining Services is also launching a new inventory and menu management system, Jamix.
Jamix will integrate with Nutrislice, a digital dining platform that manages online menus, and give students improved access to nutrition and allergen information. The system will track ingredients, recipes, menus, and food orders while integrating point-of-sale data, digital menus, and signage. It will make this content easier to find and use while significantly reducing time spent on routine tasks.
“The time-saving efficiencies gained will allow our managers and chefs to focus more on student engagement and delivering a high-quality dining experience,” Butcherite said.
New coffee option coming to the CUB
Students, faculty, and staff will be able to enjoy a new coffee shop in the Compton Union Building. Union Brew will open in time for the start of the fall 2026 semester. The shop will replace Freshens on the first-floor food court. The Freshens location in Chinook will remain.
Butcherite said students and staff have been asking for another coffee option in the CUB, and the new venue will provide an opportunity to not only provide them with good coffee but also grab-and-go food such as salads, sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, and smoothies.
