To coincide with Oregon 2020, a comprehensive plan that includes enhancing the student experience by designing opportunities for community engagement, the EMU Fishbowl is planning to add new additions in hopes of bringing a livelier atmosphere to campus.
“We saw a need to change some things around that produces more revenue for student programs and help fit the vision of Oregon 2020,” said Director of Food Services Allen Faigin. “We are going to change a few things ahead of the renovation.”@@yes@@
The EMU Fishbowl will not be completely remodeled; rather, the idea is to bring “life to the campus after five o’clock.” Mangiamo Cafe will undergo a transformation, starting first with the removal of the daily functions of the bakery to be replaced with a reconstructive menu consisting of more grill items. The Fishbowl itself will see installments of televisions and a sound system for news, movies and University sporting events.
“(We wanted) to provide places on campus for chance meetings between faculty, staff and students.” Faigin said. “To spend time together in more untraditional, unorthodox places.”
Additions are in progress with the introduction of Prince Puckler’s Gourmet Ice Cream. However, the new menu is weighed on customer reception. Grab-and-go meals like cold sandwiches, fruits and cookies are favorites of students and will be available. But to fit the goal of being open later, the morning and daily menus are slightly altered to incorporate “made to order” meals such as pancakes, steel cut oatmeal, egg sandwiches and burgers. During athletic seasons, Faigin says conceivably beer and wine will be served on game days.
“Right now, (Mangiamo) closes at three during the summer and during the school year it closes at four,” he said. “We are going to try and stay open until at least eight, and if business is here, then until the building closes.”
UO junior Kalie Wilburn, an employee of Mangiamo, believes the transformation into a burger restaurant has changed her involvement at the coffee outlet. She also adds the Fishbowl is a popular place for students to come in between classes and to change the overall purpose may disrupt its use for studying.
“As a student who studies here in between classes, this is where I come to grab something to eat and drink and kill time – study, do homework.” Wilburn said. “This is what everyone uses this place for.”
University senior Apolinar Montero-Sanchez has come to the Fishbowl to study every day during the summer term. Although the information about the renovations is new to him, he says campus should be catered to students.
“It is not a bad thing to update stuff, but to change Mangiamo into a burger joint is a bad idea.” Montro-Sanchez said. “People come in the morning to get coffee, something quick.”
Plans for the additions with a tentative completion date before Week of Welcome are waiting approval from the city of Eugene and UO Campus Planning & Real Estate. Faigin says these changes are for the University community, using the Cultural Forum’s upcoming French Film Festival as an example of screening films while aligning a menu similar to its theme.
“We saw an opportunity to do something different that will increase our revenue that we share with the building to provide greater services for the students so that they can use,” he said. “It becomes too much of a study area, and this should be more fun.”