Mississippi State University students will have a new campus dining option in 2014.
Courtney Bryant, MSU Dining marketing manager, said the $12.5 million dining facility will be built behind Cresswell Hall, where the tennis courts are currently located.
“This will allow the south side of campus to have access to a residential dining facility,” she said. “The available parking and convenient shuttle stops will allow visitors to access the location easily.”
Bryant said the dining facility will feature an open-kitchen style of cooking, which will allow guests to see their food prepared from start to finish.
Unlike traditional cafeteria-style restaurants, Bryant said the facility will offer a Mongolian grill, a rotisserie and a fresh pasta maker, among other options.
“This is not your mother’s cafeteria,” Bryant said. “It’s a state-of-the-art facility with a focus on fresh products.”
Bryant said the building’s interior will hold 450 students with 100 additional seats on an outdoor patio.
Bryant said the facility will also feature a student lounge.
“This will offer students a place to relax between classes, meet to study or catch up on homework before heading to class,” she said. “The lounge area will also host a P.O.D. Express, which is a smaller version of the P.O.D. markets that are located in the Union and Hathorn.”
Bill Broyles, vice president of Student Affairs, said the dining facility will accept both block meals and flex dollars, as well as cash and credit cards.
Broyles said MSU will begin the construction process in a few months so the dining facility will be ready to open in fall of 2014.
“We are looking forward to the ribbon cutting,” he said. “We really appreciate the feedback we have gotten from students about this new dining option. I think they will love it.”