Editor's Note: This story appears in The Plainsman's Welcome Back 2021 print edition. You can view a digital version of it here.
On Aug. 9, Auburn’s newest dining option opened to students. The Edge at Central Dining, located near the Stadium Parking Deck and Parker Hall, is Campus Dining’s newest facility. The 48,000-square foot space can hold up to 800 people depending on social distancing requirements, and it is able to serve 3,000 people each day during lunch hours.
Over 1,000 students ate at the Edge each day during the first two days it was open. Glenn Loughridge, director of Campus Dining, said things went smoothly after the launch.
“So far operationally, we have heard great feedback from students about both the facility and the food,” Loughridge said.
When entering the Edge, students will first pay for their meal, where they can eat as much food as they like from any of the eight different dining options in the facility.
The four stations on the first floor are Market, which serves sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups; Traditions, offering comfort food and desserts; Ignite Grill, which serves grilled meats and vegetables; and Urban Kitchen, which serves a variety of different dishes, including Asian cuisine.
On the second floor are Street Works, a nacho and taco bar, where students can customize their meals; True Balance, a non-allergenic dining station which does not use ingredients containing nine major allergens including eggs, dairy, finfish, shellfish, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and gluten and also has its own dishwasher to avoid cross-contamination from other dining stations; Pizza on the Plains; and Twirl, where students can order their own pasta or pick up pre-made pasta dishes.
There is also a cereal station, ice cream station, waffle makers and several drink stations with coffee.
Many foods are made with ingredients made at Auburn University, including at the new vertical farms that the University introduced over the summer.
Each dining station will have a rotating menu, and students can view the menu ahead of time online.
The dining hall also offers several spaces for students to gather. On the second floor, there are meeting rooms with a view of Jordan-Hare Stadium and the Melton Student Center that students or organizations can reserve.
For students who want to study in the new dining facility, the seating around the outside of the Edge are designed to be quiet areas. There is also outdoor seating around the Edge.
Loughridge said he is excited for students to eat at the new facility when they return.
“I am really excited for students to eat great food in this state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “I am also hopeful that they take time to find community with one another and that the Edge enhances their Auburn experience.”
The hours for the dining hall are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m.-9 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday; and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
