Next fall, students will return to a completely remodeled Orleans Room with a new food concept program. According to Chris Cameron, director of Student Activities, the remodeling was made possible by a $900,000 donation from Sodexho, Loyola’s dining services provider. “Sodexho, as a partner, really just stepped up to the plate on this one,” Cameron said.Originally, Sodexho planned to donate money for a new student union, but when it became obvious that a new building was years away, the company decided to donate part of the money to renovate the existing O.R., Cameron said.John Monica, director of Loyola dining services, agreed that a new student union was too far away and that the issue became what the company could do for students now. Monica said the plan will make Loyola “a state-of-the-art facility” and the first of its kind within Sodexho, a company that serves both national and international clients.According to Cameron, the proposal calls for emptying the O.R. of everything except the support columns. The existing grill and serving area will be removed to make room for a more efficient design. New self-contained serving units will help workers and students and will also prevent back-ups and long lines.”Each station will have trained workers, preparing fresh foods in front of students in a made-to-order, efficient way,” Cameron said.Due to heavy demand from students, a vegan section will be created in the area where students get beverages and cereal in the current setup. While vegetarian selections will still be available on the various lines, the new section will provide foods without any animal products in them. Cameron said the catering manager is a vegetarian and has been working with the executive chef on recipes.A new dessert section, with an oven baking fresh desserts, will be located where the salad bar is.Another addition will be a carving station for the hot entrée. It will be similar to what the O.R. does for special holidays, with someone slicing the meat and serving it, but it will be done on a daily basis.Smaller details such as paint, lighting fixtures, tables and chairs will be new as well. Cameron said he wants to have a student focus group choose the various aspects of interior design.Monica said the food program has been excellent, but that a lot is taken away by the décor of the O.R. He said he hopes a modernized look will cause students to gather there more often to enjoy a sense of community.While food plans and a four-week menu cycle will remain the same, food trends will change slightly. Much of what the O.R. offers is based on New Orleans menus, but the new concept also will bring in a healthier side, such as a fresh cut salad bar, Monica said.A few things will change behind the scenes as well. The kitchen will get a new dishwasher to eliminate the use of Styrofoam plates and a cooler to keep the heat down. Cameron said they wanted to air condition the kitchen, but it’s not possible to get enough water through the Danna Center pipes to do so.Since the company considers Loyola one of its showcase accounts, Sodexho will bring potential clients to the university to use it as an example.Renovations are scheduled to begin after graduation in May, with a deadline for completion set for Aug. 21. Cameron said it will be a “juggling act” to get people fed during the summer, but that there’s no other time to get the job done.Cameron said he believes the remodeling will be a positive step for Loyola and that he is happy about the changes.”I’ve been working on this for quite a while, so I’m really excited it’s actually happening,” Cameron said.

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