By Susannah Waite, Editor-in-Chief
Students will be able to purchase alcohol at a campus restaurant scheduled to open later this semester.
Stars Cash and points may be used to purchase meals and beverages at the new restaurant.
“I suspect it to do well,” said Rick Hall, vice president for student affairs. “It is not on campus, and alcohol will be served. There will be beer and wine service.”
The university and Sodexo are in a partnership involving the building that once housed the Bluetique at the corner of 23rd Street and Virginia Avenue.
Sodexo, the company that currently runs Alvin’s Cafe and the cafeteria, is renovating the building to house a restaurant called “Rehearsals.”
Campus boundaries are from 23rd Street to 28th Street, and McKinley Avenue to Virginia Avenue, according to an OCU Police Department official. The building also is featured on the campus map.
Since the building is leased to an outside entity, Sodexo controls the menu, Hall said.
The university is providing the property, and Sodexo is providing the necessary investment, he said.
“We’ll get a percentage of the profit, if there is any,” Hall said. “We’re leasing our asset, and they’re designing it with students in mind.”
Since renovations began, the building’s walls have been removed and replaced, two patios have been added, a kitchen has been built, and a walk-in cooler was added on to the back of the building.
“We still have the floors, the kitchen equipment, tables, and booths and other things, but it will all start going really fast once we get the floors in,” said Kelli Keegan, director of food services.
The building will have its own Wi-Fi as well as a setup with speakers to host entertainment.
“We want the restaurant to be as versatile as the students are,” Keegan said. “We want to provide a place where people can come in and hang out.”
Menu items will include chef and student specials, appetizers, hamburgers, and steaks.
“We’ve heard from our student board of directors that students like to share appetizers,” Keegan said. “We’ve made a special section for appetizers.”
Food, such as french fries and chips, also will be made fresh on-site, she said.
“Prices will be comparable to Alvin’s,” Keegan said. “None of the food will be duplicated from Alvin’s or the caf.”
The cafeteria tends to be crowded, she said.
“There should be more options for students,” Keegan said.
The restaurant’s hours are set for 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
Rehearsals is scheduled to open in March.
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