The Erb Memorial Union has more food options than ever for the new school year, and businesses are hungry for new students to try everything from grilled tofu to bread bowls.
“It’s the best place to eat on campus,” said Shelly Pruitt of EMU Food Services, the group that coordinates food options at the EMU, runs seven different eateries — four are located in other buildings around campus — and employs upward of 90 students.
There are also eight privately-owned eateries at the EMU. Subway, Holy Cow Cafe and Jamba Juice/Pizza Planet are located on the first floor of the building, and five other restaurants share The Marketplace, which rotates vendors Monday through Friday.
There is seating for almost 900 people at the EMU on three different building levels. All stores take cash and Campus Cash, electronic cash which can be placed on a student body card via the Internet or at the EMU card office. Subway and Jamba Juice take credit cards.
Hours and menu options are different for each eatery, and the restaurants caution that hours of operation are subject to change.

Subway
Open 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, Subway is often packed, especially during the lunch rush of 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. They offer salads and sandwiches from $2 to $7.

Holy Cow Cafe
Holy Cow specializes in vegetarian fare. Many menu items are vegan, and the cafe is open 10 a.m to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. One economical option is the salad bar, because the cafe charges by the ounce, not the plate. There are also two different soups every day, combination meal options and specials.

Jamba Juice/

Pizza Planet
Jamba Juice serves up slushy smoothies, and for students who want their daily intake of grease, there’s pizza, too. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. For the hungry — and the poor — the best deal is the $4 combo, which buys a student a slice of pizza and a small smoothie.

The Buzz
The Buzz is a coffee shop run by EMU Food Services in the basement of the EMU. They serve sandwiches and soup, but their specialty is caffeinated beverages. The store also has evening entertainment, like poetry readings on Mondays and live music throughout the year. Hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m to 2 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday.

Erb Essentials
It’s like a 7-Eleven, but right on campus. Nearly everything can be found here: ice cream, chips, Gatorade, gum. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends.

Grateful Bread
The Grateful Bread is one of the first businesses to close during the day; it’s only open until 4 p.m. weekdays. The good news is, it opens at 7 a.m. for early birds in search of coffee.

The Marketplace
Five businesses share this space, which is wedged between Holy Cow and Subway. The storefront is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Monday is India House, Tuesday is Ritta’s Burritos, Wednesday is The Pita Pit and Thursday is Orient Express. New for this year is Kim’s Bentos, a Japanese-style eatery with lunches on the cheap every Friday.