The Atrium has a new look for Spring Semester as it changed one food eatery, moved another and updated a third during Winter Break.
Ball State University students and faculty who eat at the food court will see Asian Creations changed to Atrium Creations. Where Asian Creations once had a build-your-own meal area, Caliente Mexican Cuisine, an eatery that once was a vending booth near the Ball State Bookstore, now resides. Sbarro also has an updated look.
Assistant Director of Operations Liz Poore said the name changed because Asian Creations decided not to renew the contract it had with Ball State.
"They gave us 60 days notice and basically what that allowed us to do is to do whatever we want with the station," she said.
She said Asian Creations did not give a reason for not renewing. One of the things Ball State was told was that it was the only place in this geographic region to have the eatery, she said, so food transportation was an issue.
"It was a contract where we had to buy their food, but we didn't pay them royalties," Poore said. "The only profit they made was in the cost of food, and I don't think it was being profitable for them."
Poore said Dining made some modifications to the equipment and changed the menu slightly, but the same sauces and products that were being used at Woodworth Complex's Mongolian Grill were being used at Atrium Creations.
"It's now Atrium Creations instead because we wanted to do our own Asian because we thought, and know, we could do a better job than Asian Creations," Poore said.
Dining thought it would be best to continue with an Asian concept, she said, and bring Caliente into the food court so students could purchase it with other food options.
Poore said Sbarro representatives also came to campus and looked at the eatery, the equipment and recommended some changes about the time Dining found out Asian Creations was not going to renew its contract.
It had been about five years since opening, she said, so the representatives suggested expanding the menu with items such as more salads. She said Sbarro was still waiting on some equipment such as a cooler and the main sign out front, but she expected them to be in later this week.
The cost to make all the changes was about $10,000 out of Dining's approximate $25 million operating budget, Poore said.
After its first day in operation, some students had mixed feelings about the changes.
Phil Bertsch, a junior physical and health education major, said he liked Caliente and was shocked at first that it moved.
"When I first saw it wasn't there I told my friend I died a little," he said.
He said he wished Caliente were still in its original location because the line was shorter. With it being with the rest of the food he would have to wait in longer lines, he said.
Zach Willard, a freshman English education major, said he also missed Caliente being by the Bookstore because he used to be able to go in one line that was not that long. Now he would have to not only wait in the line to get his food but also have to wait in the line to checkout, he said.
One thing Willard said he liked was Caliente's extended hours.
Caliente is now open from 10:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. whereas it used to be open for lunch only.
Poore said part of the reason the hours changed was because students were asking for it to be open for dinner.
Michael Jester, a freshman criminal justice major, said he did not care that Asian Creations changed to Atrium Creations because it was the same food. He said he did not like how it was more crowded because of Caliente moving.
Jessica Porter, a freshman criminal justice major, said she did not like the change.
She said she liked how she used to get grilled chicken and choose which vegetables and sauces she wanted on one side of the eatery. She said now that Caliente occupied that area she could only get deep fried chicken.
"I liked it better that [old] way, but this could be faster," she said. "Maybe they still have that option, but I didn't see it."
Poore said the next thing students could expect with Dining is the closure of Cardinal Crossing in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. She said that change was scheduled for mid-March.
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