LSU Dining opened its newest dining hall today, The Five Commons, in the northwest part of campus. The hall is named after the adjoining Pentagon residential complex. With a seating capacity of more than 450, the Five now surpasses the 459 Commons as the largest dining location on campus. The dining hall operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, from Monday to Thursday, and until 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The facility is accessible to LSU students and people not-affiliated with the University. ‘The world is welcome,’ said David Heidke, Director of LSU DIning and Concessions. The Five combines features of both the 459 Commons and Highland Dining Hall, which closed in fall 2009. The Five will be ‘a sister to 459 Commons, in terms of style and menu,’ Heidke said. The cuisine will feature traditional Lousiana dishes, comfort foods, grilled meat, traditional staples like corn, vegetarian items and bakeries, according to the menu.’ The Five also offers many new features like cooking classes conducted by designated chefs, a front-view kitchen allowing student-staff interaction, outdoor dining spaces and a dietician who can provide ideas on healthy diet. The hall also has wireless Internet access, computers and laptop desks for the public. The construction of the The Five was a joint venture of LSU Auxiliary Services and Chartwells Food Service, the University dining provider, said Jason Tolliver, Director of University Auxiliary Services. Chartwells invested $6.5 million for setting up the dining services building and student facilities. Auxiliary Services spent $2.2 million for construction of the Five’s outer portion, and most of the funding was generated by their internal operations, Tolliver said. Dining options on campus became significantly reduced in the wake of Highland Dining Hall’s permanent closure and the ongoing construction work at Tiger Lair. The Five, and the associated convenience store Take 5 will fill this void. Take 5 will feature Quiznos, a coffee bar and other grab-and-go options. Take 5 will be open from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. from Monday to Thursday, and until 6:30 p.m. on Friday. It will also stay open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and 11:00 p.m. on Sunday. Employing between 75 to a 100 personnel in the Five, Heidke is looking forward to recruiting as many student employees as possible, especially at Take 5 and Quiznos. ‘Our challenge is to recruit enough students,’ Heidke said. The Highland Dining staff has been shifted to The Five, he said. The creation of The Five was part of LSU’s comprehensive development and overhaul plan. Jeri McCullough, Marketing Director for LSU Dining, said she is excited about The Five being a ‘much more updated’ dining facility. ‘It’s going to be wonderful space for students from all over campus,’ McCullough said. Both Heidke and McCullough said a completely new dining experience on campus was worth the wait. ‘My hope is that it becomes the destination on campus,’ Heidke said. — Contact Sumit Kumar at [email protected]