After an estimated $3.25 million renovation, the University of Rhode Island’s Ram’s Den food court returned to students with shiny, new floors and an updated interior.
The Ram’s Den’s new look includes replaced walls, floors and lighting, as well as changes to the perimeter seating, according to Brett Nicolopoulos, retail manager of the Ram’s Den. The kitchen was not updated.
“It was more of a facelift for the front,” Nicolopoulos said.
The renovations began around the beginning of summer and ended the first week of September, according to Nicolopoulos. The construction was slated to finish in mid-August.
Although they were few and far between, the reconstruction of the food court came with its challenges, Nicolopoulos said. Architects and electricians worked to preserve the exterior of the old building while constructing an updated interior.
“When you have an old building, you’re always going to have some hidden secrets behind the wall,” Nicolopoulos said. “We had a little extra. We had some electrical issues that were rectified. For the most part, it was just flooring and the walls, so it wasn’t major construction.”
Upgrades are still in progress for the Ram’s Den, ranging from wider variety in food options to more entertainment options for students, Nicolopoulos said. Projects include an acai bowl offering and a 16.5 by 10 feet video wall, which can be used for movie nights and football game viewing to bring more students in. An additional plan is to add menu board TVs at each station.
Students, such as fourth-year Katie Glover, expressed excitement about the Ram’s Den reopening. Glover was looking forward to a larger variety in dining hall options and more areas where dining dollars would be accepted.
“I love the new sign. It looks completely different,” Glover said. “I was curious on what it was gonna look like because they were really hyping it up a lot.”
Despite the excitement and anticipation curated by the potential of a renovated dining area, students, including fourth-year Sharon Heck, expressed concerns about where URI should have allocated funding.
“There are a lot of buildings that don’t have proper air conditioning [and] aren’t [American Disability Act] compliant,” Heck said. “There was nothing wrong with the old Ram’s Den. There are better things that they could have put the money to than running a new place that was already fine.”
In contrast to student concerns, the Ram’s Den renovation attempts to do its part in combatting the overcrowding issues, according to Nicolopoulos. The project, funded by dining services, aims to provide students with an area that serves more than food and can be functional as a multipurpose space on campus.
The university wants to utilize the Ram’s Den for more events, according to Nicolopoulos. Since it is one of the largest areas on campus that can seat a lot of people, dining services wanted to give the area a “fresh look.”
“Down the road we’re looking to change more things up,” Nicolopoulos said. “Hopefully we can do that by next semester.”
