In the Union Tiger Lair, students have the option of choosing pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, french fries and chicken nuggets to eat throughout the day.
Students now can add sushi to that list.
Beginning next week, Tiger Lair will introduce a full sushi bar, located in a previously unused space between Pizza Hut and Newman’s Own Pasta, as the newest facet of student dining.
LSU Dining contracted with Advanced Fresh Concepts, a corporation with almost 1,200 sushi locations in the country, said Retail Operations Director David Pratka.
During a Chartwell’s Conference last summer, University representatives met with AFC, Pratka said. The corporation provides workers and all products for the sushi location.
Director of Contracted Auxillary Services Mark Kraner said through focus groups, LSU Dining found students liked the idea of a sushi bar on campus. So, LSU Dining pursued the collaboration with AFC.
AFC Sushi is successful on many college campuses, such as Tulane, University of Houston and University of Miami, Kraner said. AFC also provides sushi products for Target.
Pratka said students have the option of choosing among 20 different items prepared and served daily by four traditional sushi chefs.
AFC Sushi offers sushi rolls, such as the popular California roll, green river roll, grilled salmon roll, eel roll and crunchy shrimp roll, Pratka said. But, students also can ask for rolls made to their preference.
“If you find something you don’t want [in your selection], you can ask [the chefs] about it, and they will take care of it,” Pratka said.
In addition to providing sushi rolls, AFC Sushi also serves salads, such as seaweed, calamari and noodle salads.
“It’s great that they are putting different cultures’ foods on campus, because LSU represents all sorts of facets of life,” said Amber Rains, a kinesiology freshman.
Rains feels even though some students may not like sushi, they might give it a try now that it is available on campus.
“[AFC Sushi] will give students something different to eat besides the same old pizza and hamburgers,” said Jodi Hyman, a business marketing freshman.
Hyman said she hopes the introduction of sushi to Tiger Lair will prompt more exotic and unusual foods on campus.
Pratka said the price of sushi at AFC Sushi ranges from about $4 to $43, for special party platters.