From breakfast at Rhett’s to gluten-free foods at West Campus, this fall, Boston University Dining Services expanded its meal offerings around campus to enhance student food options, dining services officials said.
According to Marketing Director Scott Rosario, Rhett’s acquired Aesop’s Bagels and now offers breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m.
The former Aesop’s space is now used for extra seating, he said.
While Aesop’s only had a microwave for heating, Rhett’s menu features omelets, made-to-order eggs, pancakes and a special item called “Not Really” French toast. Rhett’s will still serve its regular menu at 11 a.m.
“Aesop’s is obviously always very popular,” Rosario said. “We wanted to enhance the program a little more, and one of the ways we wanted to do that was by being able to provide a full breakfast. Rather than having breakfast spread out between two places, you can get everything you want at one location.”
Some BU students are unsure of whether they are fans of the new additions to the George Sherman Union.
College of Arts and Sciences junior Gabriele Rociunas said she ate at Aesop’s frequently and finds the current venue more crowded. “I liked the old setup better. It’s kind of weird that they put bagels with Rhett’s.”
She added, however, that the new hot breakfast menu at Rhett’s might be something better that she might try.
A new venue called Bowls and Rolls has replaced Caprito Burrito and offers noodle bowls and sushi rolls, Rosario said.
“[The noodle bowls] are all made to order with about 20 different options for vegetables and protein and different flavored broths,” he said.
Dining Services staff decided to replaced Caprito Burrito because there were already several burrito venues around campus, Rosario said. They created Bowls and Rolls after student surveys showed that noodle bowls were particularly popular among students.
“It’s pretty good, I didn’t know what to expect when I was walking up,” said College of Communication sophomore Juliana Barbera. “The broth is good, they give you a bunch of options, and all the vegetables they serve are really fresh.”
Barbera said she still misses Aesop’s and its proximity to Starbucks, although she has not visited the coffee shop since the move.
The gluten-free zone at West Campus’s Fresh Food Company will offer breads, snacks, cereals, pizza and other everyday menu items for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Rosario said.
“Dining Services works with the team of nutritionists and dietitians at the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center to ensure these students are staying healthy and well fed,” Rosario wrote in an email interview. “With an increasing population of students who have an allergy to gluten, we felt it would be a benefit to those students to have a dedicated area where they could easily access foods that fit their diets.”
The Halal offerings at Towers were also expanded to cater to Muslim dietary law.
“For several years Dining Services has been working with Muslim student groups on campus to provide Halal meals for those students who follow the Muslim dietary laws,” Rosario said. “Recently the number of students on campus interested in Halal meals has grown and the new schedule for meals is a result of that interest.”
The Halal dinner options this year are available at The Towers dining hall Sunday through Thursday with lunch options Monday through Friday.
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Why didn’t they keep Aesop’s, which is bagels and bagel sandwiches, and just add the more substantial griddle breakfast items to Rhett’s? Rhett’s already takes forever. Now it’s a bagel cafe, diner AND ice cream shop. It made sense to have bagels and Starbucks in one area right when you walk in the door.
Although I can’t argue with the fact that more seating is needed. I don’t even go to the Union at lunch anymore.