Variety and quality dominate what and where Cal Poly students eat on campus. For those reasons, Campus Market is Cal Poly’s most popular venue, said Campus Dining associate director Alan Cushman.
The main function of Campus Market is to act as a grocery store for students, particularly those who live on campus. The market also offers its most popular item, freshly made tri-tip sandwiches, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., a salad and soup bar, pizza and more. They are open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, which is convenient for late-night food runs.
“Our food is healthy, high quality and it’s in a central location close to the library,” said Campus Market’s student manager and social science senior Evin Newton.
English sophomore Rachel Long usually avoids eating on campus, but likes Campus Market the best.
“I get a lot of stuff there and I love the California rolls,” Long said. “I’m happy that they supply some non-American foods like the mochi ice creams and sushi.”
Civil engineering freshman Felicia Knox spends about $30 to $60 at Campus Market every week. “I don’t get groceries anywhere else,” Knox said. “I like that they have pretty much everything I need and they accept Plu$ Dollars.”
The second most popular place to eat, The Avenue, has a wide variety of fast food places including Chinese, Mexican, Chick-fil-A, sandwiches, frozen yogurt, salads and more. The Avenue recently expanded to include City Subs, an off-shoot of City Deli.
Electrical engineering sophomore Alex Boatman said, “Its the only place my stomach is able to tolerate.”
Garden Grille, the third most popular, is a made-to-order restaurant which offers salads, wraps, pasta, burgers and home-style meats and sides.
Garden Grille was created in 2005 when Campus Dining replaced the Lighthouse, an all-you-can-eat cafeteria that closed due to its unpopularity among students. The concept was to bring freshly prepared food to the campus.
Aerospace engineering freshman Andy Richardson used to work at The Avenue, but his favorite place to eat is Garden Grille. “It tastes better than the other food and I can use my meal plan there,” Richardson said.