Contact: Maridith Geuder
Campus dining will be in temporary quarters as Mississippi State University's massive cafeteria undergoes a major overhaul during the spring and summer semesters.
Until August, breakfast, lunch and dinner meals will be served in the Colvard Union ballroom, said Vicki Clark, dining services director.
Perry Hall, one of Mississippi State's historic buildings and a designated Mississippi Landmark, is getting a facelift. Built in 1922, it is undergoing a nearly $3 million upgrade.
Students, faculty and staff returning to classes Jan. 3 will be able to buy a la carte breakfasts and lunches and a one-price, all-you-can-eat dinner during Monday-Friday service. The 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday brunch will continue.
Clark said patrons will enter the temporary facility on the union's second floor through what has been a three-section dining room suite bordering the ballroom. The dining suite will house the self-service food items, with the ballroom used to seat up to 450 patrons at a time.
The State Fountain will continue its bakery operations from the Perry Hall basement. The catering kitchen is being temporarily located to McArthur Hall, Clark said.
The cafeteria renovation was made possible by a major gift from Mrs. Jane Perry of Spanish Fort, Ala. She provided a $1.5 million annuity in memory of her late husband, George D. Perry, an alumnus and former president of the university's development foundation.
Because of construction barricades, some parking spaces in front of the cafeteria and in the parking area adjacent to McCool Hall will be lost for the eight-month construction period.
Interior renovations now under way by Southern Group Inc. of Columbus include cleaning the Gothic-style dining hall's ceiling and masonry. Also planned are new flooring, improved lighting and a service area redesigned to provide easier patron access and traffic flow.
A new private dining area at the south end of the main dining hall may be reserved for small-group meals and meetings.
"We hope to be able to meet the needs of our campus during this interim period," Clark said. "We encourage patrons to let us know how we can improve the temporary service."