College-in-the-Woods’ former Nite Owl is back with a new name and a lineup of specialty food items for those late-night munchies.
David Katz/Assistant Photo Editor
Since its opening on April 27, The Woods Diner has seen several hundred students daily, according to Sodexo’s marketing manager Katrina Miner.
The diner was completed in the time allotted by University administration with construction beginning in late 2009 and ending the week of its opening, according to Karen Fennie, director of Physical Facilities.
According to Pete Napolitano, director of auxiliary services, there were a lot of different phases throughout the project, including one where they received various bids from contractors for the project.
‘We planned for this and we put the money put away knowing what the preliminary budgets and estimates would be,’ Napolitano said. ‘We built an equipment replacement fund into Sodexo’s funds that is university money. In that fund, we plan for what projects are going to come up and some of those projects are far-reaching, like this one.’
Sodexo frequently asks students questions through surveys about their eating habits off campus and what they want to see in dining services. There is a strategic planning session and focus groups, Napolitano said. In the case of the new CIW Nite Owl, students wanted a snack bar.
‘We decided to make comfort foods like burgers, hand-cut fries and milkshakes because that’s what the students expressed they wanted,’ Napolitano said.
Fennie said that Sodexo is relatively autonomous in its renovation of the eatery. ‘Sodexo takes the lead on projects like this and funds them,’ she said. She did not have further information on exact costs of the project.
‘It is diner-themed in order to appeal to the late-night crowd,’ Miner said.
According to Miner, the diner has normal convenience store pricing. This means that each product is sold at two-and-a-half times the cost the University buys it for and is equivalent to what you would pay for a product at the New University Union Food Court.
The diner is currently featuring commemorative Class of 2010 glass Coca-Cola bottles for 99 cents or $4.99 for a six-pack.
The eatery now has a computerized ordering system where students place their order at the diner’s entrance. According to Miner, this ‘facilitates speed of service’ and allows students to get in and out with their food.
Students who have eaten at The Woods Diner have good reviews about the food, but some feel the hype is overrated.
‘The new self-checkout service is really easy and fast and the slushies are mad good,’ Daniel Eaker, a junior majoring in environmental studies, said. ‘I like how they have the old-school coke bottles, too.’
Emily Rellis, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said her friends have been raving about the fries and shakes, but she does not know if the wait is really worth it.
‘The line for food was about the same length as the line there was for Andy Samberg tickets,’ Rellis said.
During the day, the area is called CIW C-Store and functions as a convenience store, selling packaged and frozen foods. The hours for CIW C-Store vary daily and are available at www.budining.com.
The Woods Diner is open Sunday through Thursday from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Miner said the diner is busiest between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Similar to the Appalachian Cafe in Mountainview Community, The Woods Diner is currently not open on Friday or Saturday.
‘Attendance usually goes down on campus as a whole on the weekends, but if there’s interest, we’re certainly open to looking into it,’ Miner said.