<\/a><\/div>\n
Students walk by the Student Center.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
Bama Dining expanded on-campus dining this fall with two new restaurants and a gaming and entertainment area in Lakeside Dining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Social Bites opened upstairs in Lakeside Dining Hall, replacing <\/span>Sola<\/span><\/a>, on Aug. 14, with a grand opening set for Sept. 18, and <\/span>Choolaah<\/span><\/a>, a \u201cfast-casual\u201d Indian dining concept, will open Sept. 3 in the Student Center in the former Wendy\u2019s location.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSocial Bites is an innovative food hub concept that reimagines the traditional food hall experience,\u201d Bama Dining said in an <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> post. \u201cThis concept aims to create a vibrant, social dining atmosphere while providing elevated yet affordable meals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe variety sounds cool, but sola did one thing perfectly, and that was tacos,\u201d said Chase Tucker, a senior majoring in finance.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cChoolah replacing Wendy\u2019s is for the better because it adds a variety to the student center,\u201d said Nicavian Curry, a junior majoring in kinesiology. \u201cI have been to the Wendy\u2019s at the student center, the food was decent but the Chick-fil-A was better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The University said in a <\/span>news release<\/span><\/a> that the Lakeside mezzanine will also house a new gaming and entertainment area with \u201carcade games, video games, a pool table, a self-playing piano and numerous other entertainment options.\u201d Proceeds from game rentals and gameplay will support the <\/span>Student Care & Well-Being<\/span><\/a> food pantry.<\/span><\/p>\n Payton Fuller, a junior majoring in marketing and operations management, said she thinks the new gaming and entertainment area will be popular.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are already a lot of people in the area and I think it would attract more,\u201d she said. \u201cIt could be a great spot for people to unwind around classtime.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The same release also noted other updates, including renovations to the Raising Cane\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n