Rodney Dining Hall renovated

4:34 p.m., Sept. 12, 2005--A $2.4 million renovation has transformed the Caesar Rodney Complex Dining Hall from floor to ceiling and provided new features, such as a light-dining station and rotisserie grill.

Tony Rizzo, director of food service for the Rodney Complex, said Rodney is the last of UD’s four residential dining halls to be renovated in that last four years.

Rodney’s new “Southern Traditions” food station has foods cooked on a rotisserie grill on Thursday evenings and may eventually offer pulled pork or other traditional Southern foods, Rizzo said.

The “Lighten Up” station offers such items as made-to-order rice bowls, mesclun salad, Lovosh crackers and curry dishes.

Food stations in Rodney were changed to help lines move more quickly. The windows in the dining area were changed to provide more light, a new ceiling was installed, dark paneling was replaced with bright shades of yellow and lights were replaced with brighter ones. A grand reopening celebration is planned for October.

Rodney is the second most popular dining hall on the UD campus, serving 300 breakfasts, 800 lunches and 1,000-1,200 dinners on an average day. The most used dining hall is Russell, with Pencader and Kent in third and fourth place.

The larger dining halls–-Russell, Rodney and Pencader--each offer individual features. Russell offers a hand-packed ice cream station. Rodney will have the Lighten Up station daily and the Southern Traditions offerings at Thursday dinners. Pencader will offer premium meals periodically--lobster tail, steaks or other upgraded entrees available at additional charge.

Robin A. Moore, senior food service director, said the move toward different entrees at various facilities is an effort to satisfy student requests for more varied dining offerings.

Article by Kathy Canavan
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson

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