venues include AMP Coffee, a sustainably focused coffeehouse; Smoke, a BBQ joint (complete with smokers); Solarex, an all-day break- fast diner; Veloces, classic Italian; Trax Deli for sandwiches; Fresh & Feta for Mediterranean cuisine and Addison’s Provision, a grab-and-go spot. According to Grove, Smoke has been the most crazy-popular con- cept with a consistent “line a mile long” for its to-die-for beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey and more. The dining team researched barbecue regions and came up with a nice hybrid barbecue style that borrows mainly from Texas and Kansas City. The all-day diner, Solarex, was the students’ idea, Grove says. “Solarex came from the stu- dents,” he says. “They said, ‘I real- ly want breakfast all day long,’ and
they also want Mediterranean food, and of course they like smoked meats, too, so you take that and that’s what we did.” Rambutan is noteworthy be- cause it’s a one-of-a-kind Mai Pham original concept. Pham’s familiar Star Ginger concepts are found on quite a few campuses around the country, but Rambutan is complete- ly new. “We went to Mai and said, ‘We don’t want a Star Ginger; we want a new brand, maybe a hybrid with a few twists.” Mai Pham created this concept just for Virginia Tech. A sticking point with student feedback has shown a lack of au- thentic Asian food, so Grove sees Rambutan as a great solution. And, as the school year progresses, stu- dents have found their own favorite concepts. “Every concept has a little following,” Grove says.
learning experience and it’s ongo- ing, with partnerships like the Coa- lition for Smart Construction, a uni- versity-industry collaboration with federal and state agencies for inno- vation in the construction sector. Sustainability and carbon-footprint reducing measures are built into the facility, and even employees t-shirts are made with sustainably sourced cotton and solvent-free inks. “This school was created for the industry by the industry,” said Brian Kleiner, director of the Myers-Law- son School of Construction. The spaces inside allow for a flexible, forward-thinking approach to dif- ferent teaching and learning styles, complete with open collaboration zones. And the new dining space, Per- ry Place, with 600 seats and a set of surefire concepts, including a full-service Chick-fil-A. Signature
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FSD QUARTERLY
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