By Mitchell Bollinger Staff writer
The new mascot isn’t the only thing new to Susquehanna this semester. Benny’s Bistro, the “grab-and-go” style food option in the basement of Degenstein Campus Center, has received a complete renovation and a new name: the “Hawk’s Nest.”
This renovation is also more than just a cosmetic one; the Hawk’s Nest offers a revised menu, a new eating area and new soft drink dispensers.
The new eating area is bigger than before. Instead of round tables and a few booths lining the walls, the Hawk’s Nest features different kinds of seating options.
Students have expressed mixed feelings about how the new seating area looks, with the bright lighting being one of the most common concerns among students. “The Hawk’s Nest is a little too modern for my taste,” senior Sam Zuckowich said. “But, the food has definitely improved, and that’s a good thing.”
Unlike Benny’s, which had two or three food stations, the Hawk’s Nest now has five different stations where food can be ordered.
At the “Fire Box Grill”, one can order grilled and fried foods such as burgers and french fries.
At “EVOO”—which stands for “extra virgin olive oil”— students can order pizza, pasta and chicken wings.
The “Bistro ‘58” station is a rotating concept station, in which two types of food will be served each semester.
For the first half of this semester “Bistro ‘58” will be serving BBQ style food. At “NOSH” students can order sandwiches in a style similar to that of Subway, and at “Field & Fork” students can order salads and wraps.
One difference between Benny’s and the Hawk’s Nest is the system in which food is ordered. Instead of having electronic kiosk ordering systems, the Hawk’s Nest uses paper slips where customers can write their name and order.
This system is only temporary for the “Fire Box Grill” station, but the rest of the Hawk’s Nest will continue to use the paper slip system.
Another major change between this year and last is the integration of the Hawk’s Nest’s eating area with the newly renovated Charlie’s Coffee House.
Charlie’s has moved from its old location to the eating area of the Hawk’s Nest.
The coffee bar, sound stage and big screens that were defining characteristics of Charlie’s are all still there, but the dim lighting and couches have been replaced with brighter overhead lights and new furniture.
“I miss how Charlie’s was its own space before,” senior Meaghan Wilson said.
Wilson added, “Especially because SU Slam, GSA and other clubs had put on stuff there that required an intimate space, and having people just sitting there eating dinner when they’re trying to do a poetry reading or show a movie might be complicated.”
While some students may be dissatisfied with the new arrangement, only time will tell how Charlie’s will continue its usual programming in its new location.
One less obvious change to the Hawk’s Nest is the addition of flavor shots to the soft drink dispensers.
While some students have taken issue to the renovations, the option of adding flavored syrup to soft drinks has certainly sweetened the transition for them.
