Fresh off a major overhaul, the Magnolia Room in the Student Union is open for business again, though renovations are not complete.
The Magnolia Room, which recently received its second major renovation, is located on the third floor of the Union.
The restaurant has been open since Oct. 25, after an eleven month hiatus, but isn’t fully completed, said Union Director Shirley Plakidas.
Renovations for the Magnolia Room cost about $356,000, according to a 2004 estimate, which Plakidas said is the latest available figure.
The room boasts new lighting fixtures, carpet, skylights, walls and a full buffet-style kitchen servery, Plakidas said.
“The room now has a lot more flexibility for speakers, meetings and functions,” Plakidas said.
A far cry from its coat-and-tie-requirement days, the Magnolia Room is now focused on quickly serving students quality food in a pleasant environment, especially between classes, Plakidas said. Before renovations, the Magnolia Room was a full-service restaurant that students could not take advantage of between classes, but that is no longer the case, Plakidas said.
Students can purchase the “all-you-care-to-eat” buffet in the Magnolia Room for $8.50, according to the LSU Dining website.
The restaurant’s primary service is lunch, and its hours are 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Plakidas said.
“The menu changes daily, but it usually has fried catfish on Fridays, which is always popular with students,” Plakidas said.
The menu for Tuesday offered carved roast beef, grilled chicken, roasted garlic and thyme mashed potatoes and rigatoni primavera with alfredo sauce, according to the dining website.
In addition to all the renovations, there is also an “unfinished wall” designed to hold the Four Tiger sculpture, which is featured in the “Treasures of LSU” book, Plakidas said.
Plakidas also said the Union staff hopes the Magnolia Room will host more wedding receptions because of its newly updated look.
————
Contact Andrew Cavazos at [email protected]