Cruz and Murphy share the distinction of second in charge of the new cafeteria, which celebrated its grand opening Wednesday afternoon.

Although this was the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, the construction on the cafeteria wrapped up in July. It opened at the beginning of the semester and has been a big hit with students, Cruz said.

“It’s been absolutely amazing,” Cruz said. “(Students) love the choices. It’s being compared to the food court at some of the malls.”

Along with the ribbon cutting, the event included speeches from Vennie Gore, assistant vice president for Housing and Food Services, Guy Procopio, director of MSU Culinary Services and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, followed by a tour of the facility for community members, staff and students both past and present.

“What was wonderful about today was that a lot of the old Brody staff and students who lived here — some going back 50 years ago — came back,” Gore said about the ceremony.

Because this weekend is homecoming, it’s an opportunity for alumni who lived in Brody Neighborhood to come back and enjoy the new facilities with their old friends, Gore said.

However to Simon, the new cafeteria is a chance to provide new services for the students living in Brody Neighborhood as the first floor of the building will be home to various student-assistance programs, such as math tutoring.

“This represents the future of Michigan State University in terms of the quality of service we want to provide students,” Simon said. “When we open the first floor, the student engagement will be a dynamic opportunity for all of our students.”

The difference between the Brody Neighborhood cafeteria last year and Brody Square this year is night and day, advertising sophomore Heather Weidenhamer said. Weidenhamer lived in Brody Neighborhood last year and still works in the cafeteria.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this big,” Weidenhamer said. “But it’s huge, so it was overwhelming. But it’s cool. I like it.”

Weidenhamer especially enjoys the new vegan option at “Veg Out.” She is a vegetarian, and last year there were not many vegetarian options as far as on-campus dining.

“Veg Out” is one of 15 eating options in Brody Square that covers everything from sushi to tacos to homemade mashed potatoes, all part of Brody Square’s ambition of creating the best dining experience possible, Cruz said.

However, the goal of Brody Square is to be not just a place to eat, Cruz said. He sees the students as more than just customers.

“Being a parent myself, I try to treat all the individuals in here like they were my family,” Cruz said. “The students are kind of like our kids. We try to cater to them as we would do for our own children.”