The University is planning to move away from traditional dining options and offer better dining services to students in the next few years.
Currently, students can eat in traditional cafeteria-style dining locations Highland and Pentagon dining halls, as well as the more modern Union Tiger Lair.
However, Contracted Auxiliary Services associate director Jason Tolliver said the plan is to offer “a unique and exciting dining experience for all of the student population, as well as faculty and staff.”
David Heidke, LSU Dining director, said the plan would allow current services to be enhanced and would improve dining services to all areas of campus.
Specifically, Heidke said the western areas of campus typically do not receive the same type of dining services the other areas of campus receive.
Heidke also said the ultimate plans call for rebuilding the Laville Food Emporium to replace Highland Dining Hall and remodeling Pentagon Dining Hall.
In a previous Reveille article, Mark Kraner, Contracted Auxiliary Services director, said there was a “strong possibility” that the current Highland Dining Hall location would be used as a parking garage.
Tolliver said the plans are designed to provide students a more comfortable eating environment.
“We want to move away from traditional cafeteria dining facilities,” Tolliver said.
Also, Tolliver said the dining plans also call for some improvements to the Union dining facilities, including new food offerings, seating concepts and expanded late-night services.
Tolliver said although things still are in the planning stages, University officials have been soliciting input from several sources, including students, faculty and staff.
In addition, Tolliver said University officials have visited other universities across the country to check out their dining facilities.
“One of the ones I was most impressed with was the University of Washington,” Tolliver said. “When you walked into the dining hall, it felt like you were in an upscale restaurant.”
Tolliver said while the timing of the renovations depends on factors such as contracts, the University hopes to complete most of the changes by fall 2006.
Tolliver said students can provide input by e-mailing Contracted Auxiliary Services at [email protected].
Tolliver said he hope the dining plans will coincide with the Master Plan for the University.
The University’s Master Plan calls for creating different zones on the University campus as well as upgrading University facilities.
Some of the other planned improvements to campus include a Residential Life master plan, a $274 million project to improve campus living facilities and changes to the Rec Center.