From cereal-topped doughnuts to locally sourced yogurt bowls, Andrews Commons has introduced a new selection of food this semester, using the month of September as a testing ground to determine what the house specials will be.
Starting in November, a set of rotating specials will be finalized based on how students react to the new food options.
Bobby Noyes, assistant manager of retail operations at Andrews, said he has already determined that the made-to-order doughnut and breakfast fried rice stations will become weekend brunch staples. The homemade granola bar, which is made with Andrews’ own granola, local yogurt and fresh fruit, will also be available during brunch.
Brunch is only offered on weekends, when students have more time to enjoy their meals, Noyes said. “During brunch we’re able to craft the food in a more relaxed setting.”
The increased quality of food across every station at the eatery has cut down long lines at popular stations, Noyes said. “Last semester, the brunch burrito was always the number one seller. Adding new options has helped create more interest at different stations.”
Andrews brunch has only been available twice since the start of the semester, but the new selection has already received great reviews. Caroline Blanck ’19 said she tried the granola bowl this past weekend and thought it was “dank.” “I had strawberry yogurt, granola, strawberries, dried cherries and chocolate chips. It was really delicious, and I would definitely have it again,” she said. Blanck also added that the portion is large, which allows students to save some for later.
Matthew Knoeppel ’18 also said he enjoyed the granola bar, adding that he appreciates having a healthy meal option that he can use just one meal credit for. “The fruit cup is so expensive, so it is really nice to get fresh fruit in my meal without paying extra,” he said, noting that the portion he received was filling.
Though he has not yet had a granola bowl, Tyler Williams ’18 said he is interested in trying one. “I love fruit, but the $4 price shies me away from buying it at Andrews,” he said, adding that he is excited that the eatery is offering a healthy, locally grown breakfast option.
Knoeppel said he also enjoyed the made-to-order doughnut bar. “They feel homemade, like artisan doughnuts,” he said. He chose vanilla glaze and Cinnamon Toast Crunch for his doughnut’s toppings and said he would definitely order it again.
Though Sam Fredericks ’19 said he crafted a delicious doughnut with caramel sauce and Oreo bits, the result was “so sugary, you feel bad about yourself after you eat it, but at the same time, it’s so good you can’t stop eating it.” He said he got the doughnut as an addition to his meal because it costs less than $3.
Williams agreed that the price of the doughnut is just right. He said he got the doughnut as a side to his breakfast burrito and did not feel like he was spending too many points on top of the meal credit he used.
Williams and Jason Massey ’18 said they were unaware of Andrews’ new selection until they came into the eatery and saw the different options this past weekend. “We would have definitely come in sooner and tried the new options had we known Andrews had changed up its menu,” Massey said.
Andrews is trying to increase its social media reach through Facebook and Snapchat, posting the upcoming week’s meal options and specials, Noyes said. The eatery’s staff is trying to let students know what food they can look forward to when they walk into Andrews. “We have a ton of student workers, over 160, and we also have student managers that oversee the student staff. The day-to-day marketing comes from them,” he said.
Noyes said it is more difficult to narrow down the selection of weeknight dinner options, and there are an overwhelming number of new items that could be incorporated into the menu. “We are bread-carb-centric, and we are comfort-based driven. Our anchor is a big pizza oven, but we are trying to implement new, lighter things like fried rice, the stir fry station and tacos,” he said. On Saturday nights, Andrews offers a rotation of different Asian-influenced tacos, which Noyes said he is hoping will become a staple on the eatery’s rotating menu.
Some of the new dinner options, such as the tacos, have been received well by students. Lisa Schold ’19 described the tacos as “inventive, delicious and fairly priced.”
But other new food options have not caught on as well so far. Some students like the stir-fry station because “you can make it as healthy as you want,” Fredericks said. But others like Blanck said the noodles are “pretty greasy.” Despite her ambivalence toward the station, Blanck said she has eaten the stir-fry four times simply because she “just didn’t want to get pizza.” As an alternative, she said she would like to see Andrews come up with a salad bar of some sort.
As Andrews’ staff works to find the perfect rotating specials menu, the staff will continue pursuing new culinary ideas and ventures. “We don’t like to eat the same thing day in day out, so we’re always going to be making new food and rolling new things out in the near future,” Noyes said.
