Outtakes, the on-campus convenience stores or C-stores with locations throughout Auburn's campus, will be getting a new look and name for the fall 2018 semester.
“One of the things we really loved from the proposal we got back from Aramark was that they do a great job of making places feel like destinations,” said Glenn Loughridge, director of Tiger Dining. “They have a lot of thought that goes into the convenience store.”
The goal is to make Outtakes, renamed WDE Supply Co., a destination. Tiger Dining wanted to make it a place where students will want to eat, Loughridge said.
The look and feel of all of the convenience stores is completely new.
“We want to make it like a place you want to visit,” Loughridge said.
Tiger Dining set out to make the C-Stores appealing to students. Loughridge wanted to make a place that was both visually appealing and offered students food they want to eat.
Most of the offerings will be the same as before the revamp. There are also some additions.
“Things like the f’real machine,” Loughridge said. “It’s a milkshake maker. It does smoothies as well.”
One f’real machine will be at each WDE Supply Co. location in the Student Center, the Village, South Donahue and Terrell in the Hill.
“It’s a food group, so to speak, that students tend to really enjoy,” Loughridge said. “We’re looking for things that really appeal to students throughout the day.”
Loughridge and his team at Tiger Dining have noticed there is a true need for snack offerings on campus. The f’real machines are part of Tiger Dining’s answer to the snack need.
WDE Supply Co. will offer grab-n-go style sandwiches and other quick meals like the C-Stores have offered in the past.
WDE Supply Co.’s offerings will continue to evolve as Tiger Dining and Aramark learn what students' likes and dislikes are.
“It won’t stay the same,” Loughridge said. “As we see students prefer different things. We’ll see more of the things they prefer and less of the things they don’t.”
The convenience stores will now also offer more healthy options than before.
Tiger Dining has received feedback that students would like to see more healthy, vegan and vegetarian options. WDE Supply Co. will begin to offer those and, depending on their popularity, there may be even more healthy options added, Loughridge said.
Loughridge and his team at Tiger Dining are continuing to accept feedback and suggestions as to what students would like to see in the C-stores or anywhere else on campus.
Loughridge expects WDE Supply Co. to be efficient. The computer systems have been updated, so that so cashiers can scan barcodes which will make the lines move much quicker, Loughridge said.
Tiger Dining has been working on a C-Store revamp for quite some time. The new dining contract with Aramark gave Loughridge the perfect opportunity to re-invent the C-store experience.
“C-Stores have been a source of something we’ve talked about a lot with students,” Loughridge said. “Trying to get that right has really been a focus for me for a while.”
Tiger Dining is on-track to renovate the C-Stores. Some of the new offerings are already available at the WDE Supply Co. stores around campus.
As for the construction to remodel all of the C-Stores, the plan is to begin renovations after the final session of Camp War Eagle and have all locations open for the first day of the fall 2018 semester, Loughridge said.
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