Ibby’s Bistro, originally known for sit-down meals during lunch and dinner in the Danforth University Center, is offering buffet-style dining exclusively during lunch hours on weekdays this year.

So far, the buffet’s reception has been very good, said Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager for Bon Appétit. On Wednesday, around 90 people came to the lunch buffet.

The idea became the topic of discussion for a dining focus group in which students and faculty raised concerns about the amount of time it takes to order and eat lunch at Ibby’s.

“Some people have a half hour or 45 minutes to eat a sit-down, restaurant-style lunch, so we decided to do the buffet,” Siddiqui said. “The schedules of people are so busy here. Everyone is on a fast-moving train—super speed—and they need to refuel.”

The new option at Ibby’s has been promoted on the Dining Services Web site and on TV monitors throughout campus.

Formerly, the menu at Ibby’s was the same for both lunch and dinner every day. Now, the lunch buffet will serve different food from day to day with choices such as pastas, salads, soups and vegetarian options.

“We see that people we’ve spoken with so far seem to be happy, that the turn rate is faster,” Siddiqui said. “They can come to sit down for a meal and stay there for an hour and a half, or have a quick lunch and leave.”

One of the main emphases for the lunch buffet is to provide healthy, good-quality food at an affordable price.

“We want to provide six or seven good items. The flavors are there, people like it, and it’s quick,” he said. “We have to be sensitive to not changing the quality or the service and make sure the price is affordable and reasonable.”

Ibby’s chef Justin Keimon prepares the dishes with a significant amount of produce from local food markets, such as herbs from his own herb garden and vegetables from local farmers and the Burning Kumquat, the student-run organic farm on the South 40.

“The goal is to use more local food. The menu will changed based on the season,” Siddiqui said. “We want to make Ibby’s as local as possible.”
He hopes the new buffet option will draw in students and faculty as well as guests on campus.

“I’ve talked to a couple [faculty members] from yesterday,” Siddiqui said. “The majority have been really happy with it. Some of them just didn’t know about it when they came in and were surprised.”

Ibby’s currently seats 60 people inside and 60 people outside, if the weather permits.

Siddiqui anticipates the restaurant will become more crowded during lunch hours once the word gets out, but says Ibby’s is fully welcoming the “opportunity” to serve a full house. In fact, a bustling environment is precisely what he hopes to see.

“Wash. U. is such a unique place. The classroom is one place, but we believe the education is also outside the classroom, with students meeting with faculty in a restaurant or coffee shop,” Siddiqui said. “This is a community where students, faculty and staff can eat together. There is this constant education and gathering, and food plays a part in that.”

Siddiqui said he wants to use the powerful effect of food to bring people together and add to the University’s already strong sense of community.
The buffet is offered from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and costs $9.95, which covers non-alcoholic drinks.

Aside from the new buffet option, students will also find the green, square china plates, once a dining emblem in the Danforth University Center (DUC), replaced by circular melamine plates in a variety of colors. Because the china plates were expensive and chipped or broke easily, constantly replacing them was not a cost-effective solution.

“They were pricey, heavy and broke often, so we eliminated them, which also cuts down on our costs,” Siddiqui said.