Photo courtesy of Carley McGovern. Pictured above, the new entrance to The Grove. 

Cosgrove Hall is a bustling hub of St. Ambrose life. Not only does it house first-year students, but it is also home to the cafeteria, known by the students as the “Cafe”. The SAU community has watched as the cafeteria changed to “The Grove” through a six-million-dollar renovation, beginning in May and extending through August. 

This expensive makeover has garnered mixed reviews from students. 

Incoming first-year students have to find their way around a whole campus, but now even returning students have to navigate a new cafeteria layout. 

“When I walked into the renovated cafe for the first time, I felt like I was a freshman again,” SAU senior Phoebe Holmes explains. “I had no idea where to start getting food, I was confused on where lines began and ended, and I had to re-decide where my new favorite spots to sit were located.” 

This renovation added a new entrance that faces Ambrose Hall, as well as a new seating layout. There is also a section with televisions and arcade games.

Matt Ardaugh is an SAU junior who is a student employee for Sodexo. “I have really been enjoying the new cafeteria… The environment is so much more welcoming now and inviting for students to go for a meal and stay for socialization!”

Holmes is not fully convinced of the new gaming section. “I like the idea of having the arcade games over by the windows, but I feel like that was more or less a waste of money. During lunch, people likely only have 45 minutes to eat in between their classes, which does not offer those students a lot of time to lounge around and play those games.”

“The new cafe is really cool, but I think there are some things that Ambrose could have done better,” SAU senior Sophie McPeek says. “I feel like they upgraded the cafe because they could, but not because they should.” She explains that other parts of campus, such as Davis Hall, need more attention than Cosgrove Hall. 

Additionally, many students also wondered if this update would apply to the food. 

“The cafe looks great, but the food is still the same,” McPeek says. “Why didn’t the school put the money towards the food?” 

“Although I love the aesthetic of the new cafeteria, I found myself being slightly disappointed that the food was more or less the same,” Holmes says. “I know that they have added some different stations that give you more options, but personally that does not fit my diet as I am quite the picky eater. I also have noticed that they tend to offer the same things at some of the stations as well.

“I have no idea how much was spent on the new cafe, but I wonder if all of that funding and money could have gone to possibly improving some of the food,” she says. 

Ardaugh says he is a big fan of the updated pasta section. “What was once a pan of noodles and two different sauces is now an action station that allows you to watch your pasta be made in front of you with fixins’ such as peppers, chicken, beef, and more!”

Although he says he loves the pasta section, Ardaugh acknowledges that the grill station hasn’t lived up to his standards. “I will say that I am disappointed with the grill’s performance so far this year. It seems like every meal is a burger on the grill,” he explains. “I am hoping to see the grill return classics such as the quesadilla, chicken sandwich, and more.”

One thing that McPeek appreciates about the renovation is the updated allergy section. “I will say that I do appreciate that there is a real food allergy station. I myself do not have food allergies, but I would love that upgrade compared to what they had in previous years.”

However, McPeek says she is not fully satisfied with some of the layout changes of The Grove. She explains that having lines on both sides of the salad and sandwich stations would alleviate backed-up lines. She also remarks that more glass has been put up between staff and students. 

“Every section is blocked off by glass that makes it more difficult… to hear people. I also think it creates a separation between the staff and students,” she explains. “I’ve always loved talking to the staff while getting food, but now it seems like an inconvenience because I have to yell just to have a simple conversation.”

Many of the students love to interact with the Sodexo staff. As a student employee, Ardaugh understands just how important the staff are. “I think that the team working over there has done a great job adjusting and learning the layout of the new cafeteria. They have risen up to this challenge and have knocked it out of the park.”

While McPeek and Holmes appreciate the Sodexo staff, they say they are overall disappointed in the update.

“The bottom line is more money should have been put into the food and they should have talked to students about how they could have improved the cafe,” Holmes explains. 

However, this opinion isn’t shared by all students. “Overall, the new cafeteria is an amazing enhancement to campus and makes the dining experience so much better,” Ardaugh says. “I look forward to my meals in the cafe and hope to see nothing but improvements and advancements going forward.”

To learn more about the meal offerings to at The Grove, catch this story from SAU Weekly.