An inside look at living, studying and working at Cal Poly.

Inside Cal Poly

1901 Marketplace, the renovated dining facility, opened Jan. 23 and immediately became a central gathering place for the campus community.



The former home of The Ave and 805 Kitchen, opened with multiple venues providing a wide range of culinary offerings.



As the next phase of the university’s dining experience, it marks a new era and a step forward towards creating an inclusive environment that brings the community together. The large, open spaces allow visitors to hang out comfortably while grabbing a bite to eat.



The new facility features two main buildings with a connected covered breezeway that has al fresco-style seating. It will also serve as a location for pop-ups. A student centric space with stadium-style seating will also provide an extension to the University Union.



1901 Marketplace was designed with sustainability in mind and a focus on water and energy conservation. Features includes large windows, low-flow taps and a comprehensive energy-efficient design to keep the facilities&#8217; carbon footprint low.



The marketplace will highlight multiple venues including popular franchises like Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express. Some restaurants will have beloved regional cuisines like Picos offering Mexican food and Pom and Honey featuring Mediterranean food. Campus favorites have also returned, including Poly Deli, Red Radish and Julian’s. The facility will also have an All-You-Care-to-Eat concept with dine-in, reusable and to-go compostable box options opening in fall 2024.



For more information, visit the <a href="https://1901.calpolycorporation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1901 Marketplace website</a>.

Spacious modern cafe with high tables, hanging lamps, people working on laptops, and a counter with staff.

1901 Marketplace Opens

Sustainability is an important goal for the CSU system, and at Cal Poly this is no exception. For the last 20 years, the university has been making significant strides toward increasing sustainability practices across campus. One notable policy aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastics. Plastic straws and Styrofoam food service items were removed from campus years ago, and single-use plastic water bottles were eliminated in January 2023. All Campus Dining venues reached this goal early, with all single-use PET water bottles (20 oz or less) being eliminated and replaced with aluminum. This is one of many great changes that have been made at Campus Dining.



“We are also proud of a number of other recent waste stream management initiatives,” said Kaitlin Gibbons, registered dietitian, and sustainability coordinator with Campus Dining. “These include: a campus wide reusable tumbler program which saves tens of thousands of disposable cups per year from the landfill, the exclusive use of reusable takeout containers at our new Vista Grand Express location, and the addition of Big Belly waste bins strategically placed in dining neighborhoods.”



The team from Facilities Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability is working with Campus Dining in these waste reduction efforts and has identified additional areas for improvement within the dining program. To achieve the goal of reaching Platinum status for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS score, research and testing of sustainable dining options is currently being conducted.



Overall, Campus Dining&#8217;s sustainability efforts focus on four key areas: food sustainability, green buildings and transportation, waste stream management, and water and energy conservation. Through these practices and partnerships, Cal Poly is constantly innovating and growing its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint. By working together, we can create a more sustainable future for all.

Three aluminum Dasani water bottles beside a basket and a sign for signing up for "The Dish" weekly dining newsletter.

Cal Poly Strives for Sustainability in Campus Dining

Campus Dining continues itseffort to ensure all Mustangs have access to proper nutrition by making it easier to donate online to&nbsp;<a href="https://dineoncampus.com/calpoly/food-insecurity">Feed Cal Poly</a>. Food insecurity among college students is a persistent issue and Feed Cal Poly gives all members of the campus community the opportunity to help.



Faculty, staff, students and their supporters can visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://dineoncampus.com/calpoly/food-insecurity">Feed Cal Poly website</a>&nbsp;and donate directly to the Cal Poly Basic Needs Initiative with a few simple clicks.



In 2022, the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment found that 39% of Cal Poly student survey respondents experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. This very real problem limits students on our campus from reaching their full academic and social potential.



Feed Cal Poly works in unison with&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=2wING578lUSVNx03nMoq5-s8aGgN_8FIsGtpPjhU2shURU9SOU5FMlc4MVdKT0JVUExQMzUzWVg3RCQlQCN0PWcu">Mustang Meal Share</a>, where students on dining plans can donate dining dollars. To date, Mustang Meal Share has provided over 12,000 meals to students in need. These programs are essential in creating an equitable campus environment where our students are set up for success.



“Feed Cal Poly is a broad platform that Campus Dining will continue to build on in order to assist the university in addressing food insecurity on campus,” said Andrea Burns,associate executive director of the Cal Poly Corporation.



All donors will receive a receipt for tax purposes.



Feed Cal Poly will host several events throughout the year, including appearances at Campus Dining events and Poly Gives in March. Visit the Feed Cal Poly table at these events and learn about more ways to get involved. As a community, we can continue to make a difference!

Heart shape filled with blueberries and text "Feed Cal Poly" above "Help students struggling with food insecurity.

Feed Cal Poly Makes it Easy for Everyone to Support Mustangs in Need

If you are looking to share insight about your dining experience on campus and win cool prizes, well Campus Dining is providing the Cal Poly community a chance to do so.



Campus Dining is looking for feedback from the Cal Poly community to help create a better dining experience. The annual fall Building a Better Dining Experience survey is a big part of a Campus Dining’s ongoing process to continually adapt and improve.



“Campus Dining aims to constantly grow, tweak and develop a dining program that benefits all sectors of the Cal Poly community,” Director of Campus Dining Jess Dozier said. “The feedback we receive plays a huge role in curating a dining experience enjoyable to everyone looking to Savor Cal Poly.”



The survey only takes about eight minutes and enters anyone who responds into a sweepstakes to win one of three prizes: Apple Watch Series 8; Nintendo Switch; or Keurig coffee maker with $100 Amazon gift card. Take your chance to snag an apple watch or to fulfill that Amazon wish list you’ve been saving.



Whether you are a student or faculty and staff member, your voice matters. Campus Dining wants to hear from a wide range of voices who are part of our community. The campus-wide survey will collect valuable feedback from community members of all ages and opinions.



The survey responses from students, faculty and staff are used to help improve the customer experience, and to develop more innovative ways to deliver products and serve the campus. The survey will start accepting responses from Nov. 7 to 18. Access the survey here for your chance at this incredible opportunity to win a prize&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/survey/">https://www.calpolydining.com/survey/</a>.

Nintendo Switch, Apple Watch, Keurig coffee maker with $100 Amazon gift card, win prizes for feedback.

Help Build a Better Dining Experience and Help Yourself to Awesome Prizes

It’s that time of year again! No, we’re not talking about the holidays, but it sure does feel like it with the prizes you can win by completing the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/survey/">Campus Dining survey</a>.



By taking just eight minutes of your time to complete the survey, you are entered to win one of three prizes: Apple AirPods Pro with Cal Poly case; The North Face backpack with Hydro Flask and a $100 Starbucks gift card; or a Polaroid Now instant camera with film bundle!



This is a yearly survey for you to provide your honest feedback in exchange for a chance to win one of those great prizes.&nbsp;The survey is a big part of Campus Dining’s ongoing process to continually adapt and improve. Collecting feedback from the campus community plays a huge role in the direction of all dining operations. Not only will you be creating a better dining experience for yourself, but you can also get a reward for doing so. Your comments and concerns matter, and now is the perfect opportunity to voice them in a confidential way. Don&#8217;t forget that the survey only takes about eight minutes to complete, so you could literally do this as you walk to campus. The survey opens on Nov. 8 and extends all the way to Nov. 19. Shortly after that, three winners will be selected via a random drawing from all valid entries received during the contest period. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/survey/termsandconditions/">Official Rules</a>.



The survey can be accessed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/survey/">here</a>. Campus Dining will select the winners at random. You can enter on the first day or the last day and still be in the running.



Why not just&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/survey/">do it now</a>!

North Face backpack, Hydro Flask, $100 Starbucks card, Cal Poly AirPods Pro, Polaroid Now instant camera and film bundle.

Campus Dining is Giving Prizes for Your Feedback!

Campus Dining always sees change as an opportunity to try something new. While renovations to Building 19, the former home of The Avenue, 805 Kitchen and Poly Deli are underway to create another state-of-the-art dining facility, two new Food Truck Villages have been opened to provide the campus with some fresh gastronomic experiences, alongside tried and true favorites.



Each village will be home to several food trucks including local favorites G. Brothers Smokehouse, G. Brothers Taqueria, SLO Dog, Jewel of India and Yogurt Creation, as well as Campus Dining’s Central Coaster and What’s Cookin’ Mobile.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/whats-cookin-mobile/">What’s Cookin’</a>&nbsp;is one of Campus Dining’s new food trucks, which will offer a variety of hearty and delicious tacos, nachos and tortas like the chicken mole burrito, the Baja shrimp tacos and the loaded nachos. The best part is that the menu remains consistent when it comes to your go-to favorites but changes frequently enough to keep eating on campus exciting.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/3ce42b67219e7a29cb42c399020bbbba022536fe-6016x4016.jpg?w=675&amp;h=451&amp;fit=crop" alt="guest checking out SLO Dog food truck"/></figure>



The food trucks will rotate locations as well as menus, specials and limited time offers to keep options fresh.



Each village will be located near the UU to fill in for Building 19 and will have dedicated seating areas complete with Adirondack chairs and umbrellas.



One of the villages will be located on Mott Lawn, in front of Mott Athletics Center, across Mustang Way from Building 19. The second village will be located on the north end of Mustang Way near Grand Ave and North Perimeter Road.



The common areas in each village will be frequently cleaned and maintained in order to provide campus community members with the best possible experience while enjoying some of the best food in town.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/db7082f8e77452392413a2b5b6917e26dd580f93-1200x763.jpg?w=675&amp;h=429&amp;fit=crop" alt="wide food truck village in front of Mott Gym."/></figure>



Each truck will be on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/grubhub/">Grubhub</a>&nbsp;to provide the highest level of convenience for busy students, faculty and staff.

Outdoor gathering with people playing cornhole under yellow and green umbrellas near tents and tables.

New Food Truck Villages

Coming back on campus is exciting and almost seems surreal. There have been so many updates and new additions to campus since Spring of 2019, just wait until you walk past Vista Grande! As students come back to campus, the university is especially excited to share everything that Campus Dining has been working on over the past year and a half. This post will serve as your complete guide for what’s new with Campus Dining.



Food Trucks Let’s start with a fan favorite, drum roll please…… the food trucks! Hungry folks can find the Central Coaster, G. Brothers Smokehouse and other SLOcal favorites located outside Mott Athletics Center and on the upper side of Mustang Way. These trucks are meant to serve the surrounding area as building 19, former home of The Avenue, Poly Deli and 805 Kitchen, is being renovated.



New Market Nearby the food trucks there will be a new market featuring grab-and-go items as well as sushi. This little market is tucked away in the University Union where customers can make a quick stop. This market will carry favorite sandwiches from the Market Grand Ave. Deli at Vista Grande as well as fresh-made Ace Sushi.



New Restaurants While we’re talking about new places to grab a bite, let’s go over the new venues! Look out for Scout Coffee Co. in yakʔitʸutʸu, Vista Grande, Health Shack near the library and What’s Cookin’ in Poly Canyon Village. Subway will be opening a second location in Poly Canyon Village as well. Scout Coffee will be near the Welcome Center, just a short walk to Vista Grande which is across the street from the Performing Arts Center. What’s Cookin’ can be found at PCV along with a mobile food truck bearing the same name, that will feature a variety of things from burritos to poke bowls. Lastly, The Health Shack is the newest addition to the Kennedy Library area, a great place to eat mid study break.



Mobile Ordering with Grubhub Good news, ordering from these venues will be as easy as a push of a button. No really, it is.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/grubhub/">Download the Grubhub app</a>&nbsp;to for a cashless and contactless payment system. This will be enforced at all venues to keep payments as safe as possible.



Dining Memberships for Campus Campus Dining now has meal options for all students, staff and faculty with Community Memberships. Starting as low as $250, Cal Poly community members can purchase one of these yummy meals plans and have access to all of the Campus Dining venues. Dining dollars do rollover year to year for first-year and Community plans with a purchase of a Community Membership for the following year. You can read more about these specialized plans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/diningprograms/community/">here</a>&nbsp;or read this&nbsp;<a href="https://inside.calpoly.edu/campus-dining-memberships-for-all/">blog</a>.



 To help you remember all the changes, Campus Dining created a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/docs/WhatsNew_Fall2021.pdf">&#8220;What&#8217;s New&#8221; flyer</a>&nbsp;with all of this information.



Excited yet? We definitely are! Campus Dining looks forward to serving the Cal Poly community once again. Welcome home mustangs!

Blue coffee truck with wooden panel design parked near apartment buildings on a sunny day.

What’s New at Campus Dining?

A major renovation starts this month on Building 19, the longtime home of The Avenue, 805 Kitchen, Myron’s and many other Campus Dining facilities. This project to construct a new student-centric dining hall is the result of years of work and cross-department collaboration.



The project began in the summer of 2019 when ASI and the Cal Poly Corporation started meeting to discuss the important role that dining plays in campus life and how a major update to Building 19 could positively impact the overall student experience.



“Food plays such a personal role in everyone’s life — not just the obvious nutritional value of a meal, but the larger social aspect of gathering with friends to study over lunch or unwind at dinner,” Cal Poly Corporation Director of Facilities Will Marchese said. “An inviting dining facility can be both of those things.”



Following months of discussions, research, analysis, as well as student and campus community input, the programing and conceptual design phase of the “University Union Neighborhood” wrapped up and the next phase of the Building 19 Renovation began.



Corporation, ASI and Facilities Management and Development (FMD) Project Planner/Architect Anthony Palazzo and Project Manager Penny Sandman continued to work on the project, adding Project Manager Gil Bastidas, Associate Director of Capital Projects Michelle Chariton, and the contractor to the team as construction documents were completed. The team collaborated to ensure that the renovated Building 19 plans were cohesive with the updated University Union Neighborhood Master Plan.



The team, including their student representatives met regularly to gain shared input on the design, make value management decisions, and prepare for construction.



With everyone in the room sharing the same vision, the team was able to collaborate and create a holistic plan that will enhance the overall student experience.



Throughout this two-year period Palazzo, Chariton and the Strategic Business Services team worked closely together to successfully deliver the project. Together, they moved through the selection of the design and construction partners and the contracting involved.



The team recently completed the agreement to launch the construction phase of the renovation. Guiding the negotiations were SBS procurement specialists Chris Overby and Michele Winterfeldt, ensuring best value for the university. Chariton, Sandman and FMD Project Manager Gil Bastidas all provided their expertise to crucial construction decisions throughout the process.



Now, the rest of the campus community is about to see the result of all the cross-campus teamwork and collaboration: Protective fencing around the project has been installed, and construction begins in mid-June.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/3b236a7b238eb92499ef5d8dbbb1c037e56899d6-2000x1000.jpg?w=675&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop" alt="rendering of building 19 interior"/></figure>



When complete, the new complex will include nine separate dining venues housed in a building



that took design inspiration from the Ferry Building in San Francisco, Chelsea Market in New York, and Krog Street Market in Atlanta.



For more information on the Building 19 renovation and the larger University Union Neighborhood Project visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/planning-capital-projects/project-news/uu-neighborhood/">Capital Projects webpage</a>.

Outdoor courtyard with people walking and sitting, modern buildings with large glass windows, and a clock on a brick wall.

The Collaboration Behind the New Building 19

Mark your calendars mustangs! April 22 is “Earth Day” and Cal Poly will be celebrating. For over 50 years Earth Day has taken place to recognize our planet’s beauty and the importance of protecting it. The holiday serves as a reminder to practice clean and sustainable living.



Sustainability is at the forefront of Cal Poly’s values and is held in the highest regard. The university is an&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/">award-winning</a>&nbsp;leader in sustainable practices as each campus operation is centered around how to make best use of the available resources. All campus planning considers specific guidelines, principles and policies that work towards achieving different sustainability goals.



To kick off the celebration, Campus Dining will be putting on a special dining event with the theme, “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/881957119320238">Reuse to Restore</a>” that includes a plant-based menu, sustainable cutlery and an earth-friendly dessert. Starting at 11 a.m. and going until 2 p.m. on April 22, campus community members can head down to the outdoor patio at the Vista Grande Dining Complex to check out vendors such as Vitco Produce, CP Farms and Restore Foodware. There will also be a superfood tasting table with trivia and prizes as well as waste sorting demonstrations to spread good, environmentally friendly habits. Not to mention you can pick up your own free giveaways and enter a raffle!



The&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/student/green-campus">Cal Poly Green Campus Team</a>&nbsp;will also take part in Earth Day through a&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/student/green-campus">virtual campaign</a>. This will include posting a cohesive list of the many ways everyone can participate in environmental activism each day of Earth Week. The Green Campus Team&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cpgreencampus/">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/cpgreencampus/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;accounts will also promote the events that all sustainability clubs are putting on during Earth Week. The theme of this campaign is “Start where you are” to encourage students to practice environmentalism from wherever they are during the week. There will be yet another opportunity for students to be entered into a raffle if they participate in any environmental activism action items from the comprehensive list or attend a club event. The prizes are all donated by local, sustainable businesses!



Please come join us for some good food, trivia and fun prizes this Earth Day!

Sun setting behind mountain overlooking a city with scattered trees and buildings.

Tag: Campus Dining