Five Restaurants in One, Commons at the Cannon Center

Mike Buzalka

Segment: College/University,
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT

Enrollment: 30,500

Seating: 696

Staff: 15 full time, 300 student workers

Avg. Daily Transactions: 2,150

Hours: 6:30 am - 8 pm (M-F), 7 am - 6:30 pm (Sat.), 12:30 pm - 6 pm (Sun.)

Summary: The renovated Commons is not only brighter and more expansive than the previous version (new, large windows now let in more light and highlight the view of the surrounding mountains) but offers an exciting array of dining options. The dining platforms each prepare a different menu, all made fresh in front of customers. With seating close to each station, each has the feel of a separate “restaurant.” A zero-waste policy pulps all food scraps for use in fertilizer while used cooking oil is turned into biodiesel.

Door Prices (Cash): $6.50 (Breakfast), $7.75 (Lunch), $9.50 (Dinner), $10.25 (Sunday)

Meal Plan Options: Technically a retail facility, the Commons has its own block meal plan for off-campus students and faculty/staff that gives them 60 meals (any period) for $360 and 100 meals for $560. Other off-campus plans also deeply discount the cash prices, to as little as $2.30 for breakfast, $3.65 for lunch, $4.65 for dinner and $5.95 for Sunday on the Dining Plus plan. Resident students get several meal plan options that all include the Commons, including 100 and 275 meal block plans that can only be used in the Commons.

Stations: Fusion (“fused” international comfort foods/casseroles), Exhibition, Grill, Salads/Wraps, Euro Kitchen (dishes from around the world), Grainery (baked goods/desserts)

Foodservice Consultants: Jim Webb, Dean Wright

Architect: Nexus

Opened: July 2008