by The Cowl Editor on April 11, 2019
Opinion
Alumni Hall Food Court
by Bridget Blain ’19
Opinion Staff
When Providence College students are asked about the best dining options on campus, the first options that most likely come to mind are Raymond Dining Hall and Alumni Hall Food Court. Eaton Street Café is not likely to be your first thought.
This is because the food and drinks offered at Alumni have more variety than Eaton Street Café, and because Alumni is more conveniently located. Alumni gives students the opportunity to take a break from the repetition of the food provided at other dining options on campus, which makes it much more preferable and popular among PC students.
One of the reasons Alumni is preferred by students is its location, especially for students who live on campus. Slavin Center is a popular spot to either do homework or relax with friends, so it is convenient to get a meal at Alumni while you are there as well. For students who do not have any classes in the Arthur F. and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies, it is not likely that they will go out of their way to go to Eaton Street Café.
Eaton Street Café does not provide the same type of atmosphere that Alumni does. You can’t go to Eaton Street Café and sit in a booth with all of your friends like you can at Alumni. The atmosphere of Alumni encourages students and faculty to sit down and take time to relax for a moment, which can be really helpful when the semester becomes stressful, especially around midterms and finals.
For students with meal plans, the Take3 option at Alumni is also a great way to take a break from eating the same food every day at other places on campus. There are plenty of options available to satisfy whatever craving you have at Alumni while the options at Eaton Street Café are rather limited. Because there are not that many dining options on campus, variety is crucial.
When it comes down to it, the social atmosphere that Alumni provides and its various food options make it the best option for getting food on campus.
Eaton Street Café
by Kelly Wheeler ’21
Opinion Staff
One of the most polarizing debates among students at Providence College erupts over whether Alumni Hall Food Court or Eaton Street Café deserves to be called the premier dining facility on campus.
Although Alumni has a lot to offer, like the convenient Take3 option and the themed station, Eaton Street Café is ultimately worthier of the title.
The variety of foods available at Eaton Street Café simply can’t be beat. Not only does it have a grill menu from which students can enjoy burgers, chicken sandwiches, and steak and cheeses, but the café also has Sandella’s inside of it. Sandella’s offers an array of items that cannot be found at Alumni, such as delicious flatbread pizzas and burritos.
The quesadillas at Sandella’s are also a unique option, as they include chicken. This is a major perk for meat-lovers like me who feel disappointed by the protein-free quesadillas at Alumni.
Also, the Eaton Street Café offers breakfast options, whereas the meals served at Alumni are limited to lunch and dinner. Students can grab their breakfast sandwiches in between their morning classes, or they can even enjoy one at nighttime if they are craving breakfast for dinner.
Eaton Street Café also has a late-night window open between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays. This is very convenient for students who get hungry while staying up late to study or socialize. Also, Alumni is closed on Sundays, so their hours of operations are much more limited than those of Eaton Street Café.
Finally, another advantage Eaton Street Café has over Alumni is that it has some grocery items available for purchase. This allows students to buy things like eggs or milk right here on campus instead of having to venture off campus to do so.
Although Alumni is a very strong contender, there are countless reasons why Eaton Street Café prevails over Alumni in the fight for the title of the best dining option on campus.