Students walk by the Student Center.
Bama Dining expanded on-campus dining this fall with two new restaurants and a gaming and entertainment area in Lakeside Dining.
Social Bites opened upstairs in Lakeside Dining Hall, replacing Sola, on Aug. 14, with a grand opening set for Sept. 18, and Choolaah, a “fast-casual” Indian dining concept, will open Sept. 3 in the Student Center in the former Wendy’s location.
“Social Bites is an innovative food hub concept that reimagines the traditional food hall experience,” Bama Dining said in an Instagram post. “This concept aims to create a vibrant, social dining atmosphere while providing elevated yet affordable meals.”
The kiosk-style venue features four bite-size brands: The Original Hot Chicken, INKED Tacos, Flametown Burgers and Pinsa Pizza. The options are accessible with meal-plan swipes and open daily from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., giving students a late-night option.
“The variety sounds cool, but sola did one thing perfectly, and that was tacos,” said Chase Tucker, a senior majoring in finance.
Choolaah will celebrate its opening Sept. 3 with free food and giveaways from noon to 2 p.m. The restaurant serves tandoor-style dishes with vegetarian and Halal options.
“Choolah replacing Wendy’s is for the better because it adds a variety to the student center,” said Nicavian Curry, a junior majoring in kinesiology. “I have been to the Wendy’s at the student center, the food was decent but the Chick-fil-A was better.”
The University said in a news release that the Lakeside mezzanine will also house a new gaming and entertainment area with “arcade games, video games, a pool table, a self-playing piano and numerous other entertainment options.” Proceeds from game rentals and gameplay will support the Student Care & Well-Being food pantry.
Payton Fuller, a junior majoring in marketing and operations management, said she thinks the new gaming and entertainment area will be popular.
“There are already a lot of people in the area and I think it would attract more,” she said. “It could be a great spot for people to unwind around classtime.”
The same release also noted other updates, including renovations to the Raising Cane’s location in Paty Hall, which reopened this fall with a new look. It also announced two new executive chefs. Stanley Harris, who will oversee Lakeside Dining, and Darvin McDaniel, who is responsible for all of Bama Dining.
