The Student Union Memorial Center will be the home of a new “”healthy”” restaurant designed and operated by students in the fall semester.
The “”deli on steroids”” will take the place of Replay Entertainment, which announced its closing earlier this semester, said David Galbraith, SUMC associate director and director of food services.
Conceptually, the yet-to-be-named restaurant will feature salads, and offer quick, healthy alternatives to the food choices already at the SUMC, said Nick Adamakis, marketing specialist for the student union.
People can use more than 50 different ingredientsthat range from tofu to albacore tuna to dried cranberries to build their own customized meal, Adamakis said.
The restaurant is a response to students who have asked for healthier food options on campus, Adamakis said.
Professional architects will place the major equipment in the restaurant, the rest of the interior design is the responsibility of visual communication students from the School of Art, Adamakis said.
Students from interior graphic design course art 365 will establish a visual identity for the restaurant, including a logo, employee uniforms, outdoor signage and the menu.
Union administrators will narrow down the current designs from four to two later this week. The entire student body can vote online from the two choices early next week to determine the final look of the restaurant.
“”(The process) was awesome,”” said Jillian Morley, a visual communication senior whose design is among the four finalists. “”It was lots of work and pressure, but that’s what motivates you.””
The process is not unique for Jackson Boelts, a professor of art who has a long-standing relationship with the SUMC.
Although art 365 students don’t usually design for real clients, Boelts said the opportunity is a perfect fit for the class, which is focused on identity branding.
Other program around the UA also offers design students an opportunity to work on a real-life project.
IQ, another in-house project run by the SUMC, went through the same design process and is now one of the union’s more successful restaurants, Adamakis said.
“”It’s a win-win situation,”” said Holly Altman, outreach coordinator of the UA Office of Community Relations, of her experience with the design students through the UA Cares program.
The students do a fantastic job and get a portfolio piece, while the program gets a creative design, she said.
The SUMC, which does not receive any funds from student fees, is set to borrow the projected $50,930 construction cost from the GE Capital Loan program, Galbraith said.
Galbraith said the figure does not include preconstruction costs.
The projected operational cost of $19,248 per year for the next five years, he said, will amount to just under $100,000 for the entire project.
The “”wicked-fast”” service along with low food, labor and overhead costs add up to the right formula to be successful in the SUMC, Galbraith said.
