New food chains in USU

Four new restaurants are scheduled to open in the University Student Union on the first day of classes in the fall semester. Robek's Juice, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, El Pollo Loco and Foster's Freeze are set to begin construction this month, according to Sylvana Cicero, marketing director of the USU.

Robek's Juice, a juice and smoothie bar, and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, a gourmet coffee shop, will share a location on the east side of the USU, occupying the former Formal Lounge on the second floor, Cicero said.   The restaurants, which are operated by the same company, will provide a modified version of their menus for the campus, selected from the most popular items.

Foster's Freeze, an ice cream and dessert shop, and El Pollo Loco, which also share a parent company, will also be located on the second floor.  They will also feature a modified menu.

"We sent out a ‘request for proposal' to a variety of different restaurants that we thought would be interested and did a survey asking students what they wanted," Cicero said.

In June 1999, 72 percent of respondents thought additional food choices were needed in the USU, according to the survey conducted by the USU administration and Testing and Evaluation Services. The survey also asked which foods students would most like available.

"They chose pizza and more healthy choices," Circero said.

Of the 574 students who selected what their preferred food choice would be, 236 chose pizza, 97 chose a health food or juice bar, and 57 selected chicken bowls, according to the survey.

King Taco had formerly supplied students with a healthier choice, but new management decided to consolidate their restaurants and vacate the Cal State Long Beach location, according to Cicero.

Round Table Pizza is currently being discussed as an additional restaurant for the USU in response to the student's requests, Cicero said. Although no final arrangements have been made, if selected, the pizzera would be located on the first floor of the student union, near the games area and would feature its own dining area. Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut were both solicited, but did not respond, Cicero said.

Several additional restaurant proposals were submitted for consideration, including Cinnabon, Salsa Fresh, and Taco Surf, Cicero said, but Robek's Juice and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf were brought in through the owner of the Blue Marble Café, John Kenfield. Kenfield, who was out of state and not available for comment, seemed unconcerned about the potential conflict between his restaurant and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, according to Cicero.

"I guess he just thought that Blue Marble has it's own ambiance," Cicero said.