As the 2024-25 academic year began at St. Ambrose University, students were greeted by a redesigned dining experience. Over the summer, the cafeteria in Cosgrove Hall underwent a major renovation, changing not only the look of the entire space but also expanding its menus and creating a more social environment. It also got a new name – The Grove.
It has been several years since any changes or updates have been made to the physical look of the cafeteria. An interest in designing a more functional layout and a desire to create a lounge-type experience for students led to the decision to invest in this renovation. Sodexo, St. Ambrose University’s food service provider, funded a portion of the project. The rest was covered by the university’s annual capital budget.
Thoughtful design
One big change to The Grove is the entrance location. Before the renovations, it faced Locust Street and presented a challenge with flow and navigation. The entrance now faces the west side of the cafeteria, more inward to campus, and looks towards Ambrose Hall and the Beehive.
“Funneling students from the west side of the cafeteria provides a better perspective of everything that’s available,” said Mike Poster ’88, vice president for finance.
Another change is to the look and feel of the cafeteria. Rather than serving as a quick lunch or dinner stop, members of the Cosgrove Renovation Committee wanted the redesign to invite students to socialize and study in the space. According to Julie Kettmann, PhD, chair of the psychology department who served on the Cosgrove Renovation Committee, this was accomplished through new workspaces and technology plugins. Additional upgrades include booth-style seating and the installation of a TV wall.
“We hope students come to see it as a space that can be used throughout their day and a place where they can spend time with others in their community,” Kettmann said.
Endless variety
Another element to achieving this social atmosphere was revamping the food options.
“Food is supposed to be a happy experience,” said CJ Bush ’22, ’23 MBA, Sodexo catering manager at St. Ambrose. “You go out to your favorite restaurant because you want to have a good experience, right? That’s what we're trying to provide here.”
Bush conducted surveys with current students to understand what type of food they wanted on the menus. Sarjit Singh, Sodexo general manager at St. Ambrose, developed a number of new food stations to make the cafeteria feel more like a food court. A student can stop at a station and get a full meal instead of creating their plate from a number of different lines.
“What we’re trying to do is create stations with an experience,” Singh explained. “People are creatures of habit. At lunch, you want your favorite sandwich or your favorite burger. We’re trying to bring that into the cafeteria so students don’t feel like they have to run across town to get this. They can find it here.”
Students are now able to enjoy a bakery, a pizza and pasta station, an international food station, a simply serve station – food cooked separately from the seven common allergens – and a cook-it-yourself station – allowing students to pick their own ingredients and make their own meal – among other offerings.
Welcome to the grid
Creating a more convenient experience for students too busy to stop in the cafeteria was another step in enhancing dining options at SAU. To that end, this summer also saw a renovation of the Rogalski Center Food Court now known as The Grid.
The Grid operates as a ghost kitchen meaning students don’t interact with any staff to place their order. Instead, students download an app on their phone, order their food ahead of time, and schedule a time to pick it up. This convenience allows students the ability to know their food will be ready at a specific time creating efficiency on busy days. Orders can also be placed through on-site kiosks. Food is made in an area separate from the student-facing Grid, and then placed in cubbies for pick up. There are also grab-and-go options, like salads and sandwiches, and snacks, like chips and candy.
