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New year brings new dining options: Permanent Steak ‘n Shake, Olilo and new Chick-fil-A food truck on campus

Steak ‘n Shake has moved indoors, and students will soon see a new food truck on campus — Chick-fil-A.

Students eat at new on campus Steak and Shake at Auburn University on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Students eat at new on campus Steak and Shake at Auburn University on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.

Steak ‘n Shake has moved indoors, and students will soon see a new food truck on campus — Chick-fil-A.

Construction began in early October 2018 on a permanent Steak ‘n Shake to replace the Papa John’s in the Student Center, and the brick-and-mortar location officially opened for business Tuesday morning.

“We philosophically look, every year, at what are we going to do for this year’s freshman class — how are we going to make it the best we can make it,” said Glenn Loughridge, director of Tiger Dining.

A Steak ‘n Shake food truck had been serving Auburn’s campus for the fall 2018 semester while the details of the permanent location were being worked out.

The Steak ‘n Shake truck, though popular during its short stay, will no longer be on campus. Tiger Dining was only renting the truck for the transition time. 

Tiger Dining specialist Gwen Ward said Tiger Dining is excited for the addition and that campus can expect just about the same menu that the restaurant offers at typical off-campus locations. 

The Student Center location offers a wider variety of options including burgers, fries, hot dogs, chili and all the popular milkshake flavors, which the food truck could not offer because of space limitations. 

“It’s got a really robust shake program, which I think is kind of a fourth meal for a lot of students,” Loughridge said. “We sell a lot of shakes on campus. We feel like it’s something that’s going to resonate in that afternoon when you need a little pick-me-up before your last class.”

Steak ‘n Shake will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It’s a really budget-friendly option for students,” Loughridge said. “It’s hot and fresh and made to order — all the things that make a good burger.”

Because Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, Ward said it will be nice for at least one of the major retail restaurants to be open every day of the week in the Student Center. 

The Steak ‘n Shake will also be a Tapingo location, so students will be able to place orders ahead of time and not have to wait in line. Loughridge said Tapingo should be functional the second week of classes. Mobile, online ordering now makes up almost 10 percent of on-campus sales, he added. 

Though the Steak ‘n Shake food truck is departing from campus, students won’t be down an option.


Olilo by Cat Cora recently replaced Cora's other Mediterranean-themed restaurant, Wicked Eats, in Auburn University's Student Center.


Another change in the Student Center replaced Cat Cora's Mediterranean-themed Wicked Eats with a new iteration of Mediterranean-themed dining, Olilo. The food options appear to be very similar to Wicked Eats, minus a few changed or replaced menu items.

The only Chick-fil-A food truck in existence will be coming to Auburn’s campus in the upcoming semester as well as an additional permanent on-campus location, Student Government Association President Dane Block told The Plainsman last week.

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The new Chick-fil-A food truck sits outside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.

Loughridge said the plan is to have the truck on the intersection of Thach Concourse and Donahue Drive in front of the ROTC building near The Village, pending approval of corporate Chick-fil-A and Facilities Management at the University. 

Construction will also begin in the spring 2019 semester to bring a permanent, indoor Chick-fil-A location to Village Dining. The Plainsman in April 2018 first reported the addition of a new Chick-fil-A location in The Village.

“One of our priorities is to continually work with campus dining and ensure that students are excited to swipe their Tiger Cards,” Block said.

The Chick-fil-A addition in The Village could be a welcome relief to the busy central location. The Student Center location is known for having long lines and high sales. In June 2017, it was recognized as the second-highest grossing on-campus Chick-fil-A in the country. 

“The idea is to bring the food to the students and minimize the time spent waiting in line and making it as easy and as enjoyable for the students ­— just running to class and want a quick bite or meeting friends to eat on campus and don’t want to sit in the Student Center or whatever it is. We’re just trying to provide the options and the accessibility,” Block said.

Renovations to the Student Center Chick-fil-A are also scheduled to begin over the summer, so the food truck and the new location in Village Dining will be able to provide campus with all its Chick-fil-A needs, Block said. 

Block praised Glenn Loughridge, director of Tiger Dining, for the work he’s done as Auburn has transitioned to Aramark, Auburn’s new food-service contractor, in the past semester. 

“(Loughridge) works with the students, and the students’ priority is his top priority, so I think the students should have confidence in that,” Block said.


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