The Indiana Memorial Union updated their dining choices for the spring semester, with notable changes including updated Starbucks hours, the closure of the Tudor Room and cuisines offered at The Globe.
The IMU Starbucks is now open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
The Globe will continue partnering with local restaurants this semester, offering some new options. The restaurants featured on The Globe’s menu this semester include Juannita’s, Sofra Café, Pili’s Party Taco, Bivi’s Tamales, Taste of India, Amrit India, Lotus Garden and Dats, according to an IU Bloomington Today article.
“We redo our Globe vendor contracts every semester,” Retail Dining Director Rachael McAleer said.
She said the Tudor Room will be closed to adjust to the workforce shortage on campus and maximize service in popular student dining areas.
McAleer said the IMU tries to serve with the students in mind. This translates to having a meal plan committee and receiving feedback from Union Board on the dining services.
Through this student feedback, the IMU can decide which local restaurants to approach about a potential dining contract with the IMU, she said.
“When we planned the renovation, we took into consideration what we felt would be the most popular and we gathered a lot of student feedback prior to the renovation,” McAleer said.
Michael Campbell, the associate director of operations at the IMU, said renovation planning started in 2018 and construction started in 2019. The project finished in February 2021.
Campbell said the renovations were in response to student feedback saying they wanted a stronger restaurant ambiance.
The IMU attended several trips with students from Union Board, IU Student Government and other organizations. On these trips, the group visited food halls and restaurants on other college campuses and in downtown Chicago to get inspiration for the renovation.
Campbell also said both The Mix salad bar and Quarry Pie Co. rapid-fire pizza restaurant were inspired by locations in downtown Chicago.
“They liked the feel of that and we anticipate opening another one in the fall of 2022 which has more of a pub feel to it,” Campbell said.
He said The Globe’s rotating restaurant concept wasn’t represented on other campuses, but he was pleased that students were interested in incorporating food from local restaurants.
“It turned out well,” Campbell said. “It was certainly based on what the students wanted to eat and wanted to see.”
He said the Globe prioritized pan-Asian, Mexican and Indian cuisine this semester because those cuisines are the most popular.
Executive director of the IMU Hank Walter said The Globe offers a necessary change in routine for students who eat at the IMU often.
“I think that’s healthy,” Walter said. “It means that as your schedule changes, you get the opportunity to get food from different restaurants in different places.”
He said since the renovations, the number of students visiting the IMU increased — not just for food, but a place to hang out and relax in lieu of other places on and off campus.
“I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve gone from being a place where people eat because it’s convenient, to a place where people will eat and hang out because they want to be here,” Walter said. “That’s part of the mission of the Union.”
