Dining services has made a few changes outside of the dining halls. The Daily Grind, Ram’s Den and Rams Escape will all see updates this semester.
The Daily Grind, a staple in the 24-hour room of the library, has been missing since the beginning of the school year. The Daily Grind itself will be back and better than previous years very soon. According to Steve Mello, director of dining services, they are refreshing the concept, expanding the cart, and even introducing new coffee.
Behind where the Daily Grind cart was are two rooms, one storage for the coffee cart, the other a meditation and mothers room. After some space allocation, the Daily Grind’s entire operation will be moved completely behind the wall. Mello said that they are reconfiguring the inside of the rooms to make it more efficient for both students and staff.
“It will now be lockable at night,” said Mello. “And it will allow for more product to be kept in there.” He also went on to say how they are changing the coffee. They are pulling all Starbucks coffee from around campus and introducing Peet’s Coffee, a similar kind of brew that will also be served in the dining halls.
“Wherever you go, you’ll get a good cup of coffee,” Mello said, adding that the changes will be to the benefit of the students.
Other branches of dining services have also seen some changes. Ram’s Den has undergone renovations with new branding, new furniture and new hours. They will now be open and serving food Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Unlike past semesters, Ram’s Den will keep their doors open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, for students to use.
“It will be some place else to go to chill,” Mello said. Leaving it open later will allow students to have another study space, easier access to Dunkin Donuts and the space will also be available for Memorial Union to use in case of events or programs that need it.
Downstairs at Rams Escape, Mello said that they are looking to re-do the old Ronzio’s Pizza kitchen and add in their own pizza oven. They soon plan to add pizza combo meals to Rams Escape’s menu.
“[Students can] go get a pizza, play pool and do homework,” he said. Allowing Ram’s Den to stay open later and adding a pizza combo to Rams Escape will offer more options for students looking for somewhere else to go to.