Sarah Gilbreath,
Communications Assistant, Auxiliary Services

This fall, something big is coming to East Campus: the brand-new North Avenue Dining Hall. “It’s going to be incredible,” said Dori Martin, district marketing manager for GT Dining. “We’ve never been able to build our own dining hall on Tech before. But now we have the opportunity to build from the ground up, and we’re going all out. Special is going to be the new norm and we’re so excited.”

The new dining hall will offer options never before seen on Tech campus, such as a pho station (pronounced “fuh,” a type of Vietnamese noodle dish), build-your-own wok stir-frys and pasta, and a regular dim sum menu (a category of Chinese snacks, including dumplings and steamed buns).

Other stations will include more vegetarian and vegan options, and each will have pre-made Grab ‘n’ Go options. Each of the stations will be a presentation station, where students can watch the chefs prepare their meals. “This dining hall doesn’t have limitations that older dining halls have,” said Martin. “We’ve built this to allow us to do different things.”

This new design has given the Dining team the freedom to tackle an entirely new concept: Dining by Design. “The whole layout has a modern, retail feel,” Martin explained. “Every station is going to have its own brand.” Additionally, the entire building is being built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, and is scheduled to be both LEED Gold and Energy Star Certified. “We’re using repurposed materials and will be incorporating composting, purchasing locally, and minimizing waste,” said Martin.

The menu at each of the stations will be on a four-week rotation, and students can suggest new recipes online via the recipe submissions page on GT Dining’s website. The facility will also have extended hours, and is currently scheduled to be open 24 hours a day during the week. It will be open to all students with dining meals plans as well as guests and visitors too. “You don’t have to live in North Avenue to use the dining hall,” explained Martin. Students with the Ramblin’ 400 meal plan will also enjoy a 10 percent discount at the dining hall.

The new dining hall is scheduled for completion summer semester and a large celebration is planned for the Grand Opening in the fall.