The Foodiverse will transform the dining experience at UMKC and is set to open in the Student Union Feb. 10. It will be run as an individual restaurant style and will include seven restaurants, and the Starbucks in the Student Union will remain open.
With the new options, Student Union Director Jody Jeffries said there will be offerings at all stations for vegetarians. There also may be vegan offerings available at Fresh Harvest, Union Grill Co, and 7 Spoons. Simple Servings will only serve Halal meat as well. Lastly, Simple Servings will keep their menu free from nine top allergens.
The Foodiverse was created as a way to bring the community together.
“It is intended to create a space for informal and formal interactions between students, faculty and staff, our campus community, and the community at large,” Jeffries said. “Our hope is to create a dynamic dining program that brings our community together and solidifies the Student Union as the living room for our campus.”
Sara Sadeghi, a first-year extended student in the B.A./M.D. program majoring in biology and a second year at UMKC, said she is excited about the Foodiverse. Sadeghi said she ate at the dining hall frequently last year, at least once a day. Now, she rarely goes.
“The hours are not convenient for my schedule because I picked up a lot more commitments this year and I am much more conscious of what I eat now, so the dining hall does not really appeal to me anymore,” said Sadeghi. “ I am trying to get better at meal-prepping this semester but that might change given that the Foodiverse will open soon.”
Sadeghi said she thinks she will be going to the Foodiverse more often and is especially interested in six different stations.
“I’m not sure if the food itself will be different because after all, it is by the same provider. I am just hoping that the food quality, taste and preparation will improve,” Sadeghi said.
As a way to mediate the switch between the all-you-can-eat concept at Atterbury to the new concept at the Student Union, there will be a second helping option with only using one meal swipe.
According to Brionna Garlington, marketing manager of the dining hall, when a person gets their first meal, if they hold onto their receipt, they can then go back to the same or a new restaurant and get a second meal. However, this has to be in the same food period and does not apply to Chick-fil-A or Starbucks.
With the new Foodiverse, there will be an 18-month period where the team will be taking suggestions from students.
“That will include, but not be limited to, in-person surveys, electronic data collection, social media engagement, focus groups, and the established culinary council,” said Jefferies.
The Foodiverse will have different hours than those at Atterbury, and the Atterbury dining hall will close, once the operations and culinary teams are confident that Foodiverse is fully running, according to Jeffries.
Foodiverse hours
Monday-Friday:
- Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m
- *Simple Servings will remain available from 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Lunch: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Dinner: 4 p.m. -7 p.m.
Weekends:
- Brunch: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Dinner: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Phyllis Watt • Feb 7, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Great article.