Mississippi State University’s newest on-campus restaurant is opening just in time for the myriad of healthy-eating resolutions attached with the start of a new year.
OLILO by Cat Cora is a build-your-own, fast-casual Mediterranean-style restaurant located in the Colvard Student Union where State Fountain Bakery once was.
Cora, a Mississippi native and the first-ever female Iron Chef, developed the restaurant and its dishes, providing a meaningful history and local connection for the new on-campus dining option. The name OLILO reflects Cora’s Greek heritage, as well as relates to the words “olive” and “olive oil,” two staple ingredients in the Mediterranean diet.
“OLILO will deliver on students’ request for a healthy dining option,” MSU Dining-Aramark Marketing Manager Andi Pichardo said in a statement.
According to Regina Hyatt, MSU’s vice president of Student Affairs, dining services conducted a survey of MSU students, faculty and staff in order to determine needed additions to campus dining options. The survey revealed interest in having a Mediterranean-style restaurant on campus, as well as an interest in having a healthier option in the Union. OLILO is the answer to both requests.
“MSU Dining presented us with the concept for OLILO, and we thought it was a good fit to meet the needs and interests of our students. And we were excited to have the Mississippi connection to celebrity chef Cat Cora who is behind this concept,” Hyatt said.
OLILO’s menu offers several signature bowls and flatbreads, as well as the option to craft your own dish from a variety of Mediterranean greens, grains, proteins and toppings.
“Guests are able to choose from Signature Greens & Grains Bowls, like the Lemon Rosemary Chicken Bowl or the Baked Falafel Bowl,” says Hyatt. “You can also build your own bowl or flatbread with fresh ingredients like Grilled Salmon, Crumbled Feta, Moroccan Carrot Slaw and Tahini Dressing, to name a few.”
The addition of OLILO is a part of a bigger initiative by MSU Dining Services to respond to the desires of the student body for healthier, more convenient dining options, and precedes several additions such as the construction of an exterior door to the Village P.O.D. in Griffis Hall, as well as the introduction of a new sushi location.
Student Association President Mayah Emerson said she is excited about the health benefits of OLILO and the variety it adds to campus dining options.
“It’s a healthier option for students, so I think it definitely adds some variety to what we already have,” Emerson said. ”It’s pretty tasty, and I think it’s going to help people kick off those New Year’s resolutions of getting fit and being healthy.”
The State Fountain Bakery, which used to occupy the restaurant front where OLILO now is, has moved beside Starbucks. The bakery still offers pastries, breads and MSU ice cream.