Students will be greeted with fresh tex-mex smells of the guacamole-filled “homewrecker” burrito at Moe’s Southwest Grill, the warm taste of lavender lattes at Spencer’s Coffee, the fresh taste of chicken noodle soup at Rising Rolls and more at the new dining options on campus opening soon.

With the Commons at Helm Library and two new residence halls opening this fall, many new dining options are set to open. 

The Commons will offer five dining options consisting of Spencer’s Coffee, Rising Rolls, Panda Express, Moe’s Southwest Grill and a rotation of dining options. The menus of restaurants in the rotation are planned to change either bimonthly or semesterly, said Nena Schomler, director of marketing for WKU Restaurant Group.

“We are excited that we are adding Bene Pizzeria, serving pizza and pasta, to the rotation,” Shomler said regarding the restaurant in Garrett Conference Center that is now being demolished. “Bene Pasta has been a student favorite for years, so we wanted to revamp and update the station to offer new and different options.

In Regents Hall, a six-story residence hall opening in fall 2021, Java City Coffee and a sandwich restaurant called the Spread will be opening.

“Food tends to be a way that people come together, so a dining space and community space was included in the designs for Regents Hall,” Shomler said.

Currently at the bottom of the Hill, the only dining options are the Den by Denny’s and Pit Stop Convenience Store located between Pearce Ford Tower and Douglas Keen Hall.

“We wanted to bring additional restaurants to the south end of campus that would compliment the restaurants already located in that area,” Shomler said. “The Spread will bring a new brand to campus and moving Java City to the bottom of the hill will give a coffee solution in that campus neighborhood.”

While no other restaurants on campus are changing, Fresh Food Company will soon have digital kiosks in front of the restaurant to share menus and information. Burrito Bowl and DaVinci’s will have digital menu boards.

Digital News Editor Debra Murray can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy