Two new restaurants in the International Center's Crossroads Food Court did not open as planned Monday, but new additions to the Union's One Union Square Food Court opened on schedule.
All four eateries installed in on-campus food courts this summer should be operational by the end of the week, said Associate Union Manager Mark Simmons.
Grill 155 and La Vincita, offering American and Italian menus, respectively, replace the Little Caesars and Wendy's formerly located in the Union.
Subway has been absorbing much of the lunchtime traffic at the International Center after Taco Bell and Wendy's closed this spring, but the food court will now offer East Lansing's fourth Woody's Oasis location and the New Jersey-based chain Villa Pizza.
Woody's is expected to open today at 10 a.m., and Simmons said he hopes to have Villa Pizza up and running by the end of the day as well.
Simmons said it was important to open the restaurants before the first waves of students began returning to campus.
"We really wanted to be open this week to shake the bugs out," he said.
There are a variety of reasons the restaurant openings were delayed, he said, and since staff removed the facade surrounding the storefronts late last week, the restaurants have been performing a variety of tasks such as training crew members and moving in equipment.
"We're considering this on schedule," he said.
In addition to pizza, Villa Pizza will offer a number of Italian dishes including spaghetti, lasagna and ziti.
The Woody's menu will include items such as falafel, wraps and kabobs.
Several MSU students eating in Crossroads Food Court on Monday afternoon said they are supportive of the new additions.
"I usually buy stuff from (Woody's), but it's far from campus," said Lulu Li, a telecommunication and information studies graduate student. Li said she was looking forward to having a Woody's location on campus.
Hospitality business sophomore Kortez Mccowin said he would try Villa Pizza once it opens.
"It's going to be a good addition because people have been looking for another pizza place," he said.
Mccowin, who works at Sparty's Convenience Stores which also has a location in the food court, said he has seen demand for the Woody's entrees sold at Sparty's stores.
The Sparty's location in the International Center will no longer sell Woody's foods, but other locations on campus will continue to do so.
A number of people responded to the healthier options being offered. La Vincita employee and English junior Joseph Kornacki said customers liked the menu options, such as salads.
Surveys had suggested that the MSU community wanted a greater variety of eating options, Simmons said.
"It broadens the offerings a great deal," he said.
The MSU Dairy Store is also in the process of adding a new location in the Union.
That project is still in the design and construction phase, Simmons said, and he could not offer a projected opening date. But he said staff members were hoping to find a way to sell Dairy Store ice cream in the Union before the store opens.
