During the lunchtime hours of the school week, students form all over campus flock to the Atrium to grab a bite to eat. The options in the Atrium are plentiful, including food stations such as Zen Blossom, Brickyard Pizza and Pasta, and Delirious Wraps and Salads. Students can also pick out items from Wolfpack To-Go, a refrigerated section that is filled to the brim with an assortment of food such as deli wraps and fruit, as well as juice and milk for people who are on a tight schedule and need to grab a lunch they can easily take with them. However, the most well-visited section of the Atrium would have to be the ever-popular Chick-fil-A.
Mary Anne Peters, a first-year studying English, spoke about what she orders when stopping by the Chick-fil-A.
“l mainly get the fries,” Peters said.
During the height of the lunch rush, the lines at the Atrium tend to become quite long. Last year, this proved to be a challenge as lines for food and lines for the registers would often intersect, making it hard for students to walk through the area with ease. This was particularly prevalent at the Chick-fil-A, where students would have to navigate around two large drink stations in the middle of the area. However, after a remodel conducted over the summer, the new layout of the Atrium is solving that problem. Specifically, the change at Chick-fil-A and the stationing of the drink machines.
Chick-fil-A’s new design, in short, has opened up the main area, making it feel less compact. The drink machines, formerly in the middle of the space, have been moved to the side and are overall smaller than the ones present in years prior. The Chick-fil-A’s two windows are now more organized as well, with one side serving the usual sandwiches and nuggets while the other offers grilled selections and milkshakes. This new setup allows for the lines to be split and not cause as much hassle in the process of getting food. Additionally, Chick-fil-A’s items that were previously stored on the left side of the Wolfpack To-Go section have been given their own small fridge near one of the drink machines, while new drink and food items have been added to the main shelves for students to enjoy.
Carly Proctor a third-year studying accounting, spoke about these changes to the Atrium’s layout.
“I noticed that the Chick-fil-A now has a lot more customizable options at one counter and then the traditional options at another counter.” Proctor said. “They also moved the drink machines from the center onto the sides of the room to open it up.”
Although the changes in line lengths may all appear the same when there isn’t as much traffic, the overall changes to the Atrium are making a difference to the positioning of the lines, which have ultimately allowed more freedom of movement within the space.
“At the lunch rush, I don’t think it shortens the lines,” Proctor said. “But at the other times I think it does because more people are more likely to go to the customizable counter rather than the grab and go counter.”
The lines being shorter and the change in the setup of the Atrium has certainly caught the attention of any returning students who visited the Atrium last year. However, both new and returning students are able to experience the new features of the Atrium. Altogether, the changes to the design and to the food served in the fridge section add to the whole Atrium experience.
