“Tonight is all about celebrating months of hard work putting together this excellent facility,” said Bruce McVeagh, Bama Dining’s general manager. “In the heart of a residential community, this is where students come to unwind at the end of the day and we’re proud to have a great selection of food options for them.”
The market has been operational since late October 2014, but Tuesday night’s unveiling was accompanied by live music, s’mores outside and an appearance by Big Al.
Inside, a variety of vendors, from General Mills to Ice Coffee Co., offered up free samples of new products.
“We’re working hard to have the best options for students,” said LaShana Sorrell of Bama Dining, who was in charge of organizing the event. The vendors represented companies the University deals with in its other dining ventures. Students can voice their opinions about the new offerings on campusvoice.com.
“This is a really great thing to have,” said Joe James, a freshman majoring in chemical engineering who attended the event. “You can come here, workout, and then have some food or a smoothie. It’s very convenient, especially for Presidential Village Residents.”
Chris Chambless, a freshman majoring in marketing, said he always seeks out healthy food options after a workout.
“It’s sometimes hard to find healthy options on campus and this makes a huge difference,” he said.
McVeagh said emphasis is going to be placed on healthy options.
“We’re working with new organic options as well as light meal options,” he said. “Not only is this healthy, it’s an upscale environment that will attract students to spend time in an already great space.”
