High-tech Willy C’s, new Williams Center food court, opens
Student ordering using self-service kiosk.
A warm and more inviting atmosphere. Quicker and more efficient service.
That’s what students, faculty and staff will, ah, “relish,” on their first visit to Willy C’s, the former Centre Pointe food court now open in the lower level of the Williams Center.
Faculty Student Association (FSA) Executive Director Darin Schulz described the summer-long project as a complete gutting and renovation that will enhance the overall dining experience. “It was a dated space and was showing its wear,” Mr. Schulz said of the old Centre Pointe, which was last renovated in 2008.
Even placing an order has gone high-tech, thanks to five self-service kiosks.
“It will expedite food preparation and also make the entire process more efficient for the customer,” Schulz explained. The kiosks will also enable students who have meal plans to keep better track their card balances.
“Menu choices will be pretty much the same, but the food will be prepared more to the order than it was. It will also be fresher,” Schulz noted. The former El Diablo Azul eatery has been rechristened the Blue Devil Grill. Its menu will rotate each week between Mexican and Italian.
The spacious seating area has been configured and enhanced. “It will be a way more inviting space, with the intent to encourage socialization and community through different types of seating,” Schulz explained. Patrons can choose between traditional tables and chairs, picnic-style tables, booths, benches and bar-style tables. It’s all brand new. Faux walls have been strategically placed to separate the various seating arrangements.
An electric fireplace on the building’s north side will be the focus of the seating area, and will be flanked by three large-screen televisions.
Schulz is delighted with the array of warm, muted color choices – light blues, brown, tan and other earth-tones – that have replaced the red, yellow, orange and other bright colors.
Patrons will also notice a much quieter atmosphere, thanks to sound-absorbing acoustical panels mounted on the ceiling and walls.
Operating hours remain the same: Monday-Friday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, from 3 to 11 p.m.
The FSA, which operates dining facilities throughout the campus, utilized local contractors that include BECC Electric and Pucci’s Carpet One, which did all the floor coverings, tile and furniture. The entire project has been funded by FSA.
The Willy C’s moniker was drawn from the past. “We went back to our roots. That’s what students called it for years, before Centre Pointe, so Willy C’s is what it’ll be,” Schulz said.”
“Everyone’s going to love it!”
