Smith Hall begins pilot program for dining facility

University Housing Food Service is sponsoring a pilot program at Newell J. Smith Hall to determine whether extended dining hours are needed each morning.

According to Keri Robbins, director of marketing services for the Division of University Housing, students living in the building and staff working in nearby offices requested a change in hours during the morning. In response, the hall’s dining service now opens at 8 a.m. for breakfast and morning coffee.

“We wanted to see if the morning service hours and menu would be able to generate enough sales to cover the costs of operating the facility for that additional three hours every morning,” says Robbins. “So we decided to sponsor a pilot program during December before committing to a permanent change in the hours of operation.”

The trial period will continue until the end of the semester, and if business continues at least at its present amount, the morning service also will be offered during spring semester, says Robbins.

Anyone can partake of any of University Housing Food Service’s facilities, including Newell’s Café. The daily menu and cash meal deal lunch specials are available at http://www.housing.wisc.edu/foodservice.

Newell’s Café is located inside the southernmost entrance to Smith Hall on Park Street. It can also be found by entering through the main doors and following the hallway to the right off the lobby.