One World Café, the much-anticipated three-story international-themed eatery that was expected to open in the spring, has an undetermined opening date, according to the university.
In a statement to The Spectrum, director of marketing and communications for Campus Dining and Shops Raymond Kohl says he doesn’t know when the café will open to students.
“The opening date for One World Café is still to be determined,” Kohl said in an email. “We anticipate that the contractors will turn over the space to us sometime during the spring semester. Once Campus Dining and Shops has possession, there is still much work that will need to be completed before an opening date can be determined.”
One World Café, which cost $38 million to construct and is situated next to Founders Plaza, is supposed to open in spring 2022, according to university officials. The university says the new center will “meet the demand for expanded dining facilities among a growing campus population.”
In October 2017, CDS projected the café would open in spring 2020. The organization later revised that estimate to spring 2022. Now, it’s unclear when exactly the café will open.
The revised reopening timeline follows long lines and limited hours at many on-campus dining locations this semester.
CDS maintains that the national labor shortage is the culprit behind the many closings and limited hours. Kohl says that CDS is aggressively recruiting for all open positions at One World Café.
“We have been and continue to actively advertise employment opportunities across multiple media platforms along with participating in virtual and in-person job fairs,” Kohl said. “As we continue to onboard new employees, we have been able to open additional points of service, increase reservation spots at C3 and expand hours at some locations over the past few weeks.”
Three more dining locations – Perks, Wrap It Up and Sizzles – have temporarily closed since the start of the semester, leaving students with even fewer options.
Kohl says the three affected locations will reopen by Monday, and were not caused by staffing shortages.
“University Facilities has issued an emergency closure due [to] a collapsed main pipe in the area surrounding the restrooms in the Ellicott Food Court,” Kohl said. “This has affected the operations inside Perks so it was closed starting Oct. 1. The repairs needed in this area will also affect Wrap It Up and Sizzles and subsequently, those two locations will be closed beginning on Friday, Oct. 8. University Facilities is anticipating the project to be completed and normal operations to resume Monday, Oct. 18. [Facilities] will be in communication with both Campus Living and Campus Dining regarding progress or changes in the scope of the project.”
In lieu of the three locations being closed during repairs, Kohl noted that Hubie’s will be open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and will serve the majority of items found at Sizzles and Wrap it Up.
These closures follow weeks of student frustrations over long wait times, limited hours and the lack of dining options on campus.
CORRECTION: The Spectrum initially reported that One World Café “may not open” in the spring. That is inaccurate. The project is scheduled to open in the spring, but the opening date is undetermined. We regret this error.
Julie Frey is an assistant news/features editor and can be reached at julie.frey@ubspectrum.com
Julie Frey is a senior news/features editor at The Spectrum. She is a political science and environmental studies double major. She enjoys theorizing about Taylor Swift, the color yellow and reading books that make her cry. She can be found on Twitter @juliannefrey.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
