NAU's new dining options serve up fresh food and ambiance


Inside NAU Home \| NAU in the News \| Search Archives \| Submit a News Tip	Vol. 4 No. 32 \| Aug. 22, 2007

NAU's new dining options
serve up fresh food and ambiance

Students and staff looking for home cooking will find the next best thing at NAU this year, thanks to a dining expansion featuring fresh food cooked to order at its new Hot Spot.

The Hot Spot, where Union Station and the Eatery used to be, has twice the seating capacity and includes six new all-you-can-eat restaurants boasting an array of fresh menu options cooked to order on a visible platform.

"We're reinventing campus dining," said Jane Kuhn, fiscal and operations director for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. "The trend is to replace the old concept of picking up prepared food on line and having it cooked to order. It's fresh and fun."

One flat fee for breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Hot Spot covers all-you-can-eat at any of the restaurants (each of which offer a vegetarian dish). Faculty and staff can get a deal with a VIP card offering one free meal for every five purchased (VIP cards are available from the cashier at the Hot Spot).

Dining Dollars also can be purchased at the Meal Planning Office at the Union. A 10 percent bonus is given for faculty and staff dining dollars purchased. Entrance price for lunch at the Hot Spot is $6.60 for dining dollar customers and $7.20 plus tax for cash customers.

Diners also will note a more contemporary look, complete with increased booth seating, modern lighting and bold colors.

Hot Spot restaurants include healthy choices at the Wild Mushroom; the Pan-Asian 360 Grill; Italian cuisine at Bella Trattoria; salads, sandwiches and wraps with Basic Kneads; exotic international-spirited dishes at Magellan's and comfort foods from the Flying Star Diner.

"The Hot Spot is like being in a food court in the mall and being able to go to every single one of the restaurants to fill up for one price," Kuhn said.

The Hot Spot is the first in a series of renovations resulting from a renewed food service contract. Awarded last spring to Sodexho, the renewed contract includes a financial investment from Sodexho to upgrade and renovate NAU's dining areas.

In addition to the Hot Spot, Kuhn said the University Union will continue to offer retail food outlets that provide "grab and go" food such as Chick-fil-A, Garden Toss, Pizza Hut and Subconnection.

"We expect the Hot Spot to be up, ready and serving starting at dinner Aug. 23 and regular hours starting Aug. 27," Kuhn said.

Keep your eyes out for more changes. Kuhn said the expansion of dining services still has about 10-12 months of renovations underway on the rest of campus, including an expansion at the University Union and renovation of the South Dining. Information is online.