Southwestern University Dining refreshes Mabee Commons for Fall

Students at Southwestern University will enjoy a refreshed look, menu, and enhanced offerings at Mabee Commons Dining Hall this fall.

Changes introduced by Southwestern Dining Services by Sodexo included a complete brand overhaul for Mabee Commons as “Southwestern Dining” matching the aesthetics to the current university branding standards. The entire space was repainted, and outdated tile replaced. Each station received a refresh with new signage and design. The Cove retail space was also rebranded, and a Starbucks added.

“Regional leadership brought this vision to life in such a short period of time,” said Michael Sanders, Sodexo Campus Services. “Our goal has always been to provide an exceptional dining experience for the students of Southwestern and this is a shining example of our commitment to do just that.”

Southwestern Dining Services is unveiling many new foodie concepts, including an exciting new international station that will change weekly to incorporate diverse food cultures from around the world. Upcoming dishes include Punjabi curry, sushi rolls, General Tao's, Korean pork bulgogi, assorted crepes, tuna poke bowls, Brazilian steak bowls, and Mykonos Greek chicken salad.

A new Meveca table will showcase cooking demos, guest chefs, and special events. The portable demo table will be used to cook fresh food items for students that are dining, for high end catered events, and student cooking classes. The table is hoodless and ventless, with induction burners, fryers, and a carving station - a back-of-house kitchen on wheels.

The dining team is partnering with local vendors from the Austin-area, including True Harvest Farms which provides 100 percent local, sustainable lettuce that produces zero waste from the water and soil. Even the pots used are 100% recycled from their hydroponic farm. The company donates any products that cannot be sold in stores to the Austin Zoo.

Other local partners include Community Coffee, Easy Tiger Bread Company, and Rosen's Local Bakery for fresh homemade bagels each morning.

New dishes at Mabee Commons include poke bowls, ramen bowls, a juice and smoothies bar for breakfast, in-house baked breads and pizza dough, fresh brine chicken, hand-breaded chicken fried steaks, and smash patties at the grill, plus fresh fruits, and more vegan options at the salad bar.

Simple Servings will roll out as well. In addition to being an innovative option for students with special dietary needs like food allergies, Simple Servings featured Mindful options and build a balanced plate, including lean proteins, simply prepared vegetables, ancient grains, and even dessert.

Additional enhancements include updated employee uniforms, digital screens at each food station, and a substantial investment in small wares including dishware, serving utensils, and station serving vessels contributing to an overall more aesthetically pleasing experience for students.

The dining hall is introducing two new Coca-Cola Freestyle machines with over 100 choices and healthy options, plus an Icee machine that serves fresh, infused water at only 8 calories per ounce.

“It was a tremendous feat to try and get this refresh project completed in less than a month, but I’m extremely pleased with the results,” said Area Marketing Manager Michael Fulkerson. “It feels like you’re walking into a brand-new dining hall. We couldn’t have gotten this done without the help of DIG Creative Solutions as well for their effort and support throughout the process.

Food service hours in the dining hall are expanding. Starting Aug 23rd, the dining hall will be open until 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and The Cove will be open until 2 a.m. Monday-Sunday.