Berkeley’s Master Plan becomes a reality, yet again, in the form of an elegant and sophisticated dining facility known to students at the Berkeley Café.

Outdoor and indoor seating for 346. Pizza oven. Open kitchen. Sandwich, soup, pasta, dessert, and salad bars. Sophisticated booths and glossy high tops. Flat screen televisions adorning the walls. Milkshake machines. Fresh breakfast and gourmet coffee for tired Monday mornings. All in all, an 11,000 square foot dining facility that mirrors a posh restaurant in the heart of Tampa.

Making the switch from Gills Hall to the pristine Berkeley Café will provide students with an elite dining experience. The best part? Everyone at Berkeley will benefit. Middle and Upper Division students will have access to the Café every day along with the faculty.

Not to mention, the little ones will benefit too, with new foot options being delivered and prepared in their own newly renovated Activity Center kitchen. The Café aims to provide for every person or group at Berkeley.

Even seniors may opt to stay on campus for lunch with the 50% discount on the dining program. Senior Nikki Potts stated “Having the option to stay on campus sometimes will be great. I can’t wait to try out the new café!”

The Café also presents a senior only privilege – a milkshake machine. Potts said “It’s so cool that we actually have a milkshake machine!” Lin Regnier, another senior, agreed, “I will definitely eat on campus more often. We ate on campus for the first time on college kick off and it was truly amazing! But I still love to enjoy the senior privilege to go off campus.” This unique privilege is fantastic for seniors and gives the rest of us something to look forward to.

The gourmet food will reach new levels in the new facility. Sage’s Charles (Chuck) A. Casamasima CEC, Food Service Director stated “We will feature Stone Oven Fired Pizza every day, fresh squeezed lemonade and fresh brewed blackberry green Tea as well as regular tea, upscale sandwiches, and a larger salad bar with even more selections. We will also have ‘Food Truck Friday’ once a month. We will also feature exciting new seasonings each week, for example, a Korean Rice Bowl on August 21^st.”

The Café also aims to keep food as fresh and healthy as possible with the “use of more hormone and antibiotic-free sustainable proteins along with more organic food options.” Another exciting feature will be expected shorter lines because “more items that are grab and go to shorten any waits.”

Not to mention, a continental breakfast will be served each day. “I will get breakfast in the café very often! Especially a cup of coffee to go before the start of the school day,” says Lin Regnier, 2014. Conveniently, students will be able to get breakfast before school and during study halls, making breakfast easy. “I most likely will get breakfast in the café since I have morning study hall,” says Jacy Kent, a sophomore.

Another outstanding feature provided is indoor and outdoor seating. This will truly unite the campus as students can make the choice to sit outside or inside, yet in the same general vicinity. “I think that the Café will bring people together and lunch and we will all become closer friends,” says Jacy Kent, 2016. Regnier, 2014 agrees saying “The new facility will bring us closer since we have to eat in the Café from now on. Also, it will definitely help to keep the campus clean because eating in the café makes it convenient for everyone to clean up after themselves.” The indoor seating will be perfect for blazing hot days at the end of August or the typical monsoon weather we experience here in Tampa. Taylor Coutroulis, Class of 2015, said, “I am really excited about the new Café because there will be room for everyone to sit inside on hot or rainy days.” On the other hand, the outdoor seating will be nice for breezy days with plenty of shade.

The new features are clearly extensive, providing endless opportunities and options within the new facility. “As a senior, I am most excited about the milkshakes that everyone has been talking about. In addition to that, I am also super excited to enjoy breakfast in this beautiful facility. Oh, and I almost forgot the TVs! Those are going to make our lunches so much more enjoyable,” explains Regnier, 2014.

The Berkeley Café is an outstanding addition to Berkeley’s campus. This installment to the Master Plan provides students the opportunity to enjoy gourmet, fresh food along with the deluxe facility for years to come.