Michigan opens new café

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — North Campus just got a little more appetizing.

Monday, the new Fireside Café in Pierpont Commons opened its doors after a six-month, $5.3 million renovation. The project is part of a series of Union renovations, which are funded in part by a $65-per-term student fee.

E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, is an outspoken advocate for the renovations and encouraged the University’s Board of Regents to approve the projects in December 2013. At the ceremony, Harper expressed gratitude for the renovations and joked about past critiques of the North Campus café.

“When you’ve been here for a while, like some of my colleagues, this is the end of an annual ‘Come to North Campus and get beaten up about how terrible the cafeteria is,’ ” Harper said. “I am thrilled because it means that I will not have to get that beating this year.”

Harper said the dining space is a reflection of the hard work and persistence of the many faculty and staff members who recognized the need for better student dining options on North Campus.