Annika Dahlberg
Staff Writer
The opening of the Lone Mountain East complex in fall 2021 brings with it new dining options for students. Bon Appetit’s resident district manager for the University, Crystal Wong, and her team are still in their planning phase, but have shared some of the new food options with the Foghorn.
To promote the use of the kitchenettes in new Lone Mountain housing, the residence also includes a retail store where students can pick up grocery items. Similar to “Outta Here Cafe” in the undercaf, the store will offer snacks and toiletries, but will mainly focus on providing a variety of additional fresh food.
“You could very easily walk up — maybe before or after class or on your way home — and pick up some of the staples that you might use to cook,” Wong said. “This includes grains, pasta, protein, a lot of vegan and vegetarian options, and options made without gluten. We’re trying to add a more grocery component into the meal plan as well.”
For students with classes in Lone Mountain, there is also a new dining hall, which is informally being referred to as “The Pavillion.”
Among the new amenities is a wood-fired stone pizza oven, which dining hall staff can use for roasting and baking a variety of items besides pizza, like pasta and vegetables.
Bon Appetit is also planning to use a large, round, flat-top grill located on an island in the center of the new cafe to cook skewers, various grilled meats, and fried rice among other options.
Similar to the main cafeteria in the University Center, there is also a grill station that will serve burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and other fried foods like chicken tenders.
Bon Appetit is also hoping to include an Indian food station with authentic curries, as the station features a tandoori oven. Inside, students can cook meat, vegetables, and naan bread.
The new cafe will also have a small tap bar that serves beer and wine. This will be the second location on campus to serve alcohol, the first being War Memorial Gym.
Student workers who are under 21 will not be allowed to serve alcohol, but will be able to check IDs, signs of overservice, and help make sure that the environment is safe and that the bar is being used appropriately.
The Department of Public Safety said that it is still in the planning stage of preparations for the student bar, but they will limit the hours of operation and the amount of alcohol being served to keep students safe. A public records check with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control did not return any record of USF or Bon Appetit applying for an alcohol license.
Each Bon Appetit worker will complete a training on alcohol service called TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures), aimed at safe bartending practices, like preventing drunk driving, in addition to food handling and COVID procedure training.
According to Wong, Bon Appetit has not yet finalized the hours of operation for the new dining areas. They are planning to finalize these and COVID precautions in July.
Annika Dahlberg is a sophomore nursing major and is both a General Assignment Reporter and Deputy News Editor at the Foghorn. She has previously covered/covers McCarthy Center Events and Provost-related breaking news. She can be reached at adahlberg@sffoghorn.com or Twitter @___akinna.
