RENOVATION ROUNDUP
COVER STORY
CONSTRUCTION PHASE Throughout the whole year between summer 2024 and summer 2025, con- struction was underway at Perry. The project included a full renovation of the main level with its 1921 Café, The Beet Drop and Bark, and also a full renova- tion of the lower level, Glass Box: State Fountain Bakery and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Heavy, dark interior features like Phantom of the Opera-style chandeliers and musty flags gave way to an open, airy staircase and an elevator that con- nect the floors and the signature archi - tectural feature, The Glass Box, where students can feel like they’re outdoors while indoors. Lots of other versatile nooks and seating areas make eating, so- cializing, working and studying easy for students stopping in during their day. Outdoor seating is also in the mix for fair weather days. On the outside of the building, a land- scape architect transformed an unsight- ly and inefficient loading dock into a green wall, digging out lots of dirt and essentially moving a parking lot in a way that will also make it more conven- ient for truck drivers making deliveries. These new concepts at Perry recog- nize three big food categories for college dining: Comfort food, plant-forward food and barbecue. BRANDING AND MARKETING BUILDS UP TO OPENING DAY The new concepts in the food hall all needed new branding, and that was taking place as early as fall of 2023. As part of a food hall setting, each concept has its own unique identity, as seen from the different logos. 1921 Café, named for the first year Perry opened its doors, is carrying on the traditions of comfort food that the hall has always been known for, like Fried Chicken Wednesday and Catfish Friday. Bark is the barbecue concept, with a handcrafted smokehouse flavor (meats are being smoked in-house) and all the iconic side dishes that make the plate.
And The Beet Drop is a fresh-forward customizable salad concept. By the spring and summer of 2025, the brand rollouts were finalized for all the concepts and a marketing push was launched, featuring murals, digital boards, teaser videos and “The New Classic” t-shirts to sum up the feeling of this old-yet-totally- new campus hub. As the opening got closer, staff took part in training for all the new concepts and menus were tested. Opening day was Friday, Aug. 15, with more than 2,000 guests attending the cel- ebration and ceremony, including MSU President Mark Keenum, Dr. Regina Hyatt (Vice President for Student Affairs), and Alisdair MacLean (Aramark Collegiate Hos- pitality South Region Vice President). In a symbolic moment, the MSU Student As- sociation President, Cameron Cummings, cut the ribbon, opening the doors to a new era of Perry while affirming its role as a student-centered gathering place.
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QUARTERLY | Q4
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARAMARK
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