Stewart’s Corner, one of the newest Bama Dining facilities, officially began business in Lloyd Hall Monday, Aug. 16. After its first week, Director of Dining Services Kristina Hopton-Jones said the facility has been operating well, but they have seen seating issues.
“Students have been sitting on the building’s front stairs and in the hallways,” she said. “We’ve been busy. We’re trying to keep up with the demand.
“We plan on adding a few more tables to the inside of the building.”
Construction of an outside dining and seating area is underway outside of Lloyd Hall, which Hopton-Jones said she expects to be completed by the Tide’s Sept. 11 football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
The area will seat around 30 people, Hopton-Jones said. Additionally, in spite of being an outdoor seating area, the spot will not be limited to seasonal dining. According to Hopton-Jones, the area will feature fans for hot days and heating units for cold ones.
“I think that the new seating area will be a big help,” said TJ Lay, a senior majoring in electrical engineering. “I’ve been there twice, and both times I’ve been unable to find an open table and ended up sitting in the hallway.”
Eric James, a junior majoring in psychology and criminal justice, said he too has had little luck finding a table at the new dining facility.
“I’ve been sitting outside a lot,” James said. “Once the outside seating area is finished, I’ll come here a lot more than I already do.
“The food selection is great, and I really do enjoy coming here. I think that it was a great addition to our campus.”
Stewart’s Corner is located on the first floor of Lloyd Hall and features a Chick-fil-a, Pizza Hut Express, Java City Coffee and Boar’s Head Deli.
“Everything is going as well as can be expected,” Hopton-Jones said. “The student and staff reaction has been consistently positive.”
Hopton-Jones said she hopes to adjust the way the lines are filtered around the dining facility to allow for more space and to continue to offer good service.
Although the Ferguson Center food court hosts a Chick-fil-a as well, the location in Stewart’s Corner offers students and staff breakfast, soup and lemonade, along with the other items available inside the Ferguson Center.
The facility was open on a limited basis over the summer, as only Boar’s Head Deli and Java City Coffee were operating. A grand opening of Stewart’s Corner featuring a ribbon cutting was held Wednesday at 10 a.m.
