Your guide to new on-campus restaurants and franchises

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Students order Starbucks next to the makeshift area where renovations of Burrito Bowl are beginning, May 3, Bovee University Center. Thanks to the renovations that are happening, which are also happening in the Down Under Food Court, a large part of the UC has been walled off to keep people safe and prevent dust from going everywhere.

Welcome to Central Michigan University, where your parents won’t be choosing what you eat anymore. 

Last year, CMU finalized its contract with Aramark, the campus food provider for the past 25 years. The newly-forged agreement between CMU and Chartwells resulted in a complete makeover for on-campus dining.

That means changes for not only residential restaurants but the renowned franchises.

Here are the new campus restaurants to add to your CMU tasting tour:

Shake Smart: What used to be Burrito Bowl in Bovee University Center across from Starbucks, will now be Shake Smart. A Chartwells company, Shake Smart serves shakes, smoothies, sandwiches and other food items. It will officially open on Monday, August 23.

Slim Chickens: Some other universities that use Chartwells as a food supplier have Chick-fil-a on campus. However, CMU students made their disapproval known about the restaurant after a Chick-fil-a food truck served at a tailgate in 2019. Slim Chickens is the alternative chicken restaurant and will open in the Down Under Food Court on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Freddy’s: A diner-style restaurant serving frozen custard, burgers and hotdogs. Freddy’s has locations all over the United States but only a few in Michigan. The restaurant will be located in the UC in the Down Under Food Court and will open on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Paper Lantern: A Chartwells-owned asian grill and sushi restaurant. It serves food from a variety of countries like China, Japan and Thailand. Paper Lantern will be located in the UC in the Down Under Food Court and will open on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Build Pizza: A pizza restaurant where students can build their own custom pizzas. Build Pizza will be located in the UC in the Down Under Food Court and will open on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Tu Taco: A mexican restaurant to replace the last one. Tu Taco is said to have a wider variety of options than Burrito Bowl. It will be located in the UC in the Down Under Food Court and will open on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

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