Campus Restaurant Renamed with Nod to History
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The new entrance to the newly named 1844 Restaurant in bright and inviting. (Photo by Patrick Dodson) |
ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 25, 2018) — The name may be different, but the delicious menu stays the same. After years of being referred to as The Patroon Room, UAlbany’s Campus Center restaurant was renamed to honor the founding year of the University at Albany.
Now called the 1844 Restaurant, the eatery sports a beautiful new entrance. Updated equipment, tables, UAlbany branded chairs and a renovated kitchen were added last year.
“We wanted it to be more inviting,” said Stephen Pearse, executive director of the University Auxiliary Services. “We were looking to create a more appealing entrance way and so we thought that it might also be a perfect time to look at renaming it so that people knew it was a dining room and not something else.”
While researching the meaning of ‘Patroon,’ Pearse and the renovation team thought the reference to Colonial Dutch landholders did not fit the values of the University. He brought his concerns to the UAS Board of Directors for discussion.
“Given the rehabbed space and that the University will be celebrating 175 years in December of 2019, rebranding it with a greater emphasis on the University’s history and values seemed timely,” said Michael Christakis, vice president for Student Affairs and chairman of the UAS board.
And so, the name was changed to 1844 to signify the opening of The Normal School, which ultimately became the University we know today. But one question still remained.
“We didn’t really like ‘1844 Café’ because it’s larger than a café and it’s not just coffee,” said Pearse. “We didn’t like the sound of bistro, so we landed on restaurant so that you know it’s a place you can go to enjoy a meal.”
1844 Restaurant is on the second floor of the Campus Center and is open to faculty, staff, students and visitors, Monday-Friday 11:30am-2pm. It offers buffet-style meals with wait service for beverages. Students on a meal plan get 50 percent off with Discount Dollars and faculty/staff on the dining plan get 10 percent off.
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