The grand opening will take place in two parts, said Greg Fowler, director of Consumer Services. "The dining area is set to open to students on a meal plan at the start of the school year and the serving area and final stages of the kitchen will open towards the end of October. Customers will have buffet style service available to them as soon as the dining hall opens."
Split into two phases, the end result of the $6.8-million renovation will be space to serve an eclectic and nutritious menu to around 1,000 customers per meal. "Lynn Guina, director of Hospitality Services, has been the project office lead on what is the final stage of a series of major renovations to Marquis Hall. The redesign started a couple of years ago when the access ramp was replaced with an elevator to improve access and create more retail and storage space. "
In the final phase of the project, the dining, serving and kitchen areas have been redesigned and updated to finish the project, he said. "The redesigned space will create eight serving stations where food will be prepared fresh for the customer right when it is ordered."
The serving and prep stations will be an open concept, he said, allowing customers to watch the food be prepared right in front of them. "The servery was redesigned and refurbished with new equipment throughout. And the new equipment is more sustainable and energy efficient as well, like new refrigerators and freezers that will save over five million gallons of water per year."
The new Marquis Hall will get a lot of attention, but something that might go unnoticed by customers making their way through the space is how the redesign maximizes efficiency in serving capacity. "This will allow us to serve almost endlessly," he said. "We can easily serve 600 meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner and still have capacity for another 400 at each meal if necessary."
The space combined with this capacity makes Marquis the only central gathering place on campus that can comfortably serve so many people. "This makes it perfect for special events and conferences." ν
Marquis Hall makeover
Marquis Hall has undergone a Restaurant Makeover-type facelift during the past two summers and will be ready for its reveal this fall.