Einstein Bros. Bagels and the Terrace Dining Room are expanding to provide more options, items and accessibility beginning this fall.
Einstein Bros. is the most popular food vendor in Mary Graydon Center, according to Director of Auxiliary Services Dave Courter, and Einsten Bros. management said their MGC location could be even more profitable given more space.
As a result, Einstein’s is doubling in size and relocating to the former Block Express and Pronto space in MGC. Einstein’s will now offer its full drink selection, including specialty coffees and espresso drinks.
Courter said the work should be completed by the end of August.
Pronto, which serves Italian-style sandwiches, will now be located in the former Einstein Bros. Bagels area. Block Express will combine with Eagle Express to continue its service of boxed lunches, still purchasable with meal swipes.
TDR increases seating
TDR gained more usable space as well. AU has expanded its seating capacity to 630 by removing the walls of the private dining rooms in the hall, allowing for more efficient square footage, according to Courter.
“We believe we have enough kitchen space and serving line space to serve larger numbers of people, but we need more places to sit,” he said.
Further renovations and expansions are planned for TDR, but Courter said the University must wait for the 2011 Campus Plan to be finalized in order to progress on those plans.
McDonald’s leaving AU
McDonald’s will leave the tunnel at the end of 2011, when its lease expires Dec. 31.
More than a dozen brand representatives interested in replacing McDonald’s attended a mandatory pre-bid meeting with Auxiliary Services in July. The serious candidates then submitted business proposals to the University by the end of the month, according to Courter.
After proposals were submitted, Courter began working with Executive Director of Housing and Dining Chris Moody and the Dining Services Project Team to rank the brands in order of most to least favorite.
“We hope the ones that make the best financial offer to the University will also be the most popular,” Courter said.
The Dining Services Project Team analyzed the brands, their menus and prices, while Auxiliary Services looked at the financial impact on AU and its budget.
Though AU must keep the new vendor confidential until a contract is written, Courter said the prospective tenants are a diverse mix of national brands that he believes the community would be interested in having on campus.
The new lease will begin Jan. 1, 2012, and Courter expects a grand opening for the tenant during the spring semester.
Italian restaurant to open on New Mexico Avenue
A new Italian restaurant off-campus is on track to open during the fall semester as well.
Antica Neapolitan Pizzeria, a family-oriented Italian restaurant to open at 3201 New Mexico Ave., has changed its name to Al Forno Pizzeria and Trattoria. Al Forno, which means “the oven” in Italian, will offer wood-fired pizza, gelato, pasta and risotto dishes.
Al Forno will occupy part of the AU-owned space that was formerly the high-end grocery store Balducci’s.
The University is still looking for additional vendors to join Al Forno in the space, which can accommodate multiple tenants. AU is particularly seeking a vendor that offers grab-and-go sandwiches, salads and other quick take-out items, according to Courter.
Though one tenant signed a letter of intent in April, it withdrew its interest during lease negotiations. Courter said many of the prospective vendors are small tenants that don’t want to move until Al Forno is open for business.
“They want to see there’s a critical mass of people coming into the space,” he said. “In a better economy, it should move faster.”
rkaras@theeagleonline.com
