The Triangle

Issue date: 11/12/04 Section: News

Media Credit: Karen Maziarz

The InTech Creese Cafe is being redesigned to allow for better traffic flow and quicker service and will reopen to the public Jan. 3.

The construction on the café, managed by the Department of Planning, Design and Construction, is located in the Creese Student Center on University City campus and began at the beginning of summer break.

"The new InTech Creese Cafe will offer an expanded menu and larger seating capacity for the entire Drexel community to enjoy," Dean of Students David Ruth said.

Once complete, the cafewill feature dark wood furniture and an earth tone color scheme on the walls, Director of Communications for Student Life and Administrative Services James Katsaounis said.

"The new design also allows for more variety in the menu selections, which has been a consistent customer service comment," Director of Auxiliary Services Janee DeAndrea said.

Soup, hot sandwiches and more grab-and-go lunch items like sushi will be added to the menu.

"We have consolidated our operations by incorporating Freshens Yogurt and Smoothies into this space and eliminating the Sub-Connection," DeAndrea added.

"Auxiliary Services has been working closely with students, student leaders and Student Life to enhance the quality of the services offered, such as the recent improvements made at Ross Commons and, now, the InTech Creese Café," Ruth said.

Katsaounis expressed that the Division of Student Life affirms that students, faculty and staff will be impressed with the new atmosphere and food offerings that will be available at Creese Café.

The closing of the cafeduring such a critical time of the year comes as a shock or disappointment to many students who regularly visit. Katsaounis claimed that the original plan was for Handschumacher Dining Hall to be renovated during the summer months. However, this had to be put on hold until next summer because of some pre-construction waterproofing that needed to be done to the hall's exterior. As a result, the department decided that it would be in the best interest to begin renovations on the café.

"It is great to see that the administration sought the students' views in renovating the café," Kirsten Graupner, a senior majoring in interior design said. "However, it would have been nice to see signs in the beginning alerting students that the cafewas moved to the Sub-Connection shop for the time being. It would have also been nice if the renovations did not take place during the fall term when new freshmen could take full advantage of what the cafehas to offer."

This project came about through funding from Sodexho food services provided to the University to improve the dining service facility, DeAndrea said.

The renovations are being done by InTech Construction who built the original café," Katsaounis said.

The construction project is being managed by the Department of Planning, Design and Construction.

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