When it comes time for food, being on the edges of campus might mean you have to work off your lunch before you even begin eating.
With the addition of two new venues, Ohio University Culinary Services hopes to change that.
The Steam Station Cafe and McCracken’s Fresh Take are both pilot programs offering food to those who can’t get to the central campus quickly.
“It’s the perfect place to grab your morning coffee, a quick meal at lunch or a mid-afternoon snack," said Kent Scott, associate director of auxiliaries operations, in a news release.
Steam Station Cafe is located in the West Union Street Office Center and has been open for a little over a week. McCracken’s fresh take is located in the lobby of the building and opened at the beginning of the school year.
To provide these new venues, Culinary Services spent a combined $44,000 from its operating budget, $11,000 to implement McCracken’s Fresh Take, and $33,000 for the Steam Station Cafe.
To help run the two venues, 15 student workers were hired, but this number may vary based on operational needs, said Patti Barnes, director of Auxiliaries Support Services.
Students and faculty are excited for the new options.
“It would be nice if I was running home from class, I go down Jeff Hill because I live in River Park, that I could just run into McCracken, grab a soup and take it home,” said Alexa Rae Kitko, a senior studying biological sciences.
Renee Middleton, dean of the Patton College of Education, expressed a need for a venue within McCracken.
Barnes said this was the reason McCracken’s Fresh Take was started.
Since the beginning of the school year, McCracken’s Fresh Take has made a little over $2,964.
