New dining options at Cox Hall food court include local eateries, a variety of flavors and a mini convenience store.
Dave Furhman, senior director of campus dining, describes the significant changes made over the summer as "strategically planned updated contemporary offerings to better meet the needs of our diverse community." They also reflect Emory's goals of supporting sustainability, which includes local food and supporting smaller, independent businesses.
FACE, the student-run Food Advisory Committee at Emory, "was critically instrumental in driving the entire process" and student feedback "was largely responsible for the changes" at Cox Hall, Furhman says. FACE holds a series of meeting during the academic year to solicit student feedback.
Debuting at Cox Hall are:
D.B.A. Barbeque and Twisted Taco, both local outlets.
Star Ginger, which offers Thai, Vietnamese and pan-Asian flavors, a small but not local business.
Top Hat Pizza, pizza by the slice. "A play on Dooley's top hat," Fuhrman says of the name.
Dooley's Grill for burgers, fries and more.
Cox Salad Bowl, an expanded version of the former salad station offering twice as many ingredients to choose from.
Green Bean. The student-originated and operated coffee cart stood outside Cannon Chapel and now operates in Cox Hall.
Asbury Circle Deli, a re-brand of the Boar's Head meat and cheese offerings.
C3, which stands for Cox Convenience Corner. "We had a big empty space in a corner in Cox so we set up a 'mini convenience store'," Furhman says, with grab-and-go items for students like aspirin, gum, candy bars, yogurt, string cheese and hummus.
Furhman credited Campus Services graphic design department with improved, more Emory-centric signage and graphics at Cox and in the Dobbs University Center (DUC) dining hall.
"While the changes at Cox are the most noticeable, those are followed closely by the changes at Dobbs Market," he says.
New at Dobbs Market, also in response to student feedback, are:
• Upgrades in bread quality to artisan bakery bread and in the deli to all Boar's Head products. "We have a new bakery program with a staff of bakers," Furhman notes.
• Boneless skinless chicken breast at each lunch, brunch and dinner period because "it's the best source of healthy protein."
• Fresh berries on the salad bar, local when available, he says.
• Fresh-squeezed orange juice at every meal.
• Kashi brand cereals.
• Fresh Angus beef for the burgers. "No more frozen patties," Furhman says.
The dining changes were a team effort, he says, and student feedback so far has been "phenomenal."
Also new this year: Food trucks on campus for late-night dining.
More changes and evaluations at other campus dining locations are coming soon.