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PARKERSBURG -- New food service options will be available beginning this semester at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
Ricky's Cafe, operated by the university, is expected to open by the end of the month and will offer full breakfast and lunch options. New vending machines provided by CRJ Vending are stocked around campus.
On Monday, Chick-fil-A began serving lunch from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday or while supplies last.
The facilities are available for students, faculty, staff and the community.
"We did a survey of our campus community about food preferences last semester and received about 300 responses. That's an excellent cross section of our community. Respondents indicated that food quality and price are especially important concerns. We try always to be responsive to feedback, so we are building the menu at Ricky's Cafe with these priorities in mind," said WVU Parkersburg President Chris Gilmer.
The school also polled the community about food vendors they might like to see on campus, he said. Chick-fil-A polled high, Gilmer said.
"It's highly unusual for a small, rural college like ours to be able to attract a major restaurant chain to campus, and we are so pleased that our friends, the Angelos Family who own the local Chick-fil-A restaurants, answered our call," Gilmer said. "They have been upstanding citizens and business leaders in this community for decades, so we consider ourselves fortunate to affiliate with them."
WVU-Parkersburg also is considering a coffee kiosk or similar vendor, but won't move forward with any additional food vending options until Ricky's Cafe is fully operational, Gilmer said.
"First the cake, then the icing," Gilmer said. "Our top priority is to provide lunch options for our students, faculty, and staff as quickly as we possibly can."
While the university had been considering food service options for some time, the situation changed during the summer when the contract with its previous vendor unexpectedly ended.
"I really want to commend our team for pulling together on short notice to provide economical and tasty dining options for our community," Gilmer said. "We want people to be able to spend their money on choices that appeal to them for whatever reason, so it is important to have options. As always, our team put the needs of our community first and rose to the challenge."