By Karen Fernau
GCU News Bureau
A new bistro will feature artisan salads, sandwiches, gourmet teas and lemonade.
Slices will serve nine-inch, made-to-order pizzas with an impressive choice of toppings.
Urban Center Café will dish up a wide variety of new entrees and, for the first time, will offer them a la carte.
The farmers market showcasing locally grown produce will expand from once to twice weekly.
Those are just some of the new features in campus dining for the fall semester at Grand Canyon University.
All campus eateries are set to be open on Monday, Aug. 21, the first day of Welcome Week. Here's the schedule of when each one will be open.
“We have made a lot of little changes to be able to offer as many choices as possible. We want students and staff to be excited about eating on campus,” said Zach Casavant, Marketing and Communications Director for Sodexo and GCU Dining.
The biggest change this semester is Market Bistro in Thunder Alley.
The new independent eatery will serve a limited but diverse menu of artisan sandwiches, such as salmon and bacon on focaccia, and salads made fresh daily. The Bistro will be open for lunch and dinner.
Next door is a trendy thirst quencher serving boba teas and flavor-spiked lemonade.
Created in the 1980s in Taiwan, bobas are made with iced tea and milk and mixed with fillings such as tapioca pearls or grass jelly. Known as bubble or boba tea, the trendy beverage is sipped through an oversized straw.
“These teas are the rage in California, and we expect them to be very popular on campus,” Casavant said.
The beverage shop also serves creatively flavored lemonades, refreshing drinks infused with fruits, chiles and an assortment of unorthodox ingredients.
Driven by a growing interest in healthy eating, GCU is expanding its farmers market to twice weekly. It’s tentatively scheduled for 8-11 a.m. Tuesday and noon-3 p.m. Friday.
Customers also will be able to fill a small or large brown paper bag with fruits and vegetables from farms in Arizona and neighboring California.
“The market helps students remain healthy by eating a wide assortment of fresh produce,” Casavant said. “It was very popular last year, and we expect it to be again this year.”
Other changes are as follows:
- Along with full-size, custom pizzas, Slices also offers a breakfast bar with crepes and fresh fruits. Delivery will begin mid-semester.
- Simple Servings, an allergy-free eatery introduced last year, is shrinking its offerings to make room for an expanded Urban Café menu. To help those with special dietary needs, GCU Dining is posting suggestions at many restaurants for gluten-free, vegan and healthy options.
Students, faculty and staff are reminded that there's a great option for them at 27th Avenue: Canyon 49 Grill. Shuttles run regularly between the main campus and the restaurant, which accepts students' Dining Dollars.
Contact Karen Fernau at (602) 639-8344 or [email protected].
