University of St. Thomas – Anderson Student Center

The new $66 million Anderson Student Center is home to 225,000-square-feet of dining, retail, recreation, meeting, and lounge spaces. Foodservice resources were a major reason a new center was needed. The previous dining facility was outdated in seating capacity, preparation, and serving areas. In addition, the need for catering services increased greatly over the years. Enrollment is more than three times the population that the facilities were designed to serve.

Anderson Student Center takes foodservice to the next level with even more choices – from casual dining to grab-and-go to an overhauled student-dining room experience. Many sustainable strategies have been incorporated that enhance energy efficiency. The student center is seeking LEED Silver certification.

There are three major dining areas: The View dining center, T’s, and Scooter’s. The View is an on-trend dining destination featuring a ‘scatter-style’ layout with many new and diverse serving lines. Stations such as ‘Taste of Italy’’ features an open hearth pizza oven, and ‘Your Call!’ allows students to select fresh, local, and sustainable produce to be prepared right in front of them. Offerings also include international, deli, grill, and action stations, such as a stir-fry bar.

T’s features a large deli, grilled items, and a daily special; the addition of a support kitchen eliminates the need for food to be prepped and transported from the main kitchen. Scooter’s specializes in made-to-order pizzas, calzones, and hot hoagies. The Summit Marketplace’s C-Store focuses on healthy food choices in the grocery area and includes fresh produce, premade salads, and gourmet sandwiches. The Loft offers smoothies, tea, and coffee drinks.