Etta’s Cafe and the carvery station in Holmes Lounge are both tentatively set to close with the opening of Parkside Cafe, an eatery in the newly constructed Schnuck’s Pavilion, in the summer of 2019.

Parkside Cafe will have seating for over 250 patrons and operate from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays. It will feature a rotating menu, including a grill and classic St. Louis foods like toasted ravioli and St. Paul sandwiches, as well as grab and go options like sandwiches and Ted Drewes frozen custard.

Ryan Yang | Student Life

Holmes Lounge is currently one of the east-most eateries on campus. Once the East End transformation is complete, students will have access to a larger cafeteria with extended hours and more food options.

According to Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Dedric Carter, Parkside Cafe will take inspiration from the Holmes Lounge carvery.

“We’ll take some of the things that really worked in the carvery, like the engaging service and good food, and try to implement them there,” Carter said.

According to Associate Vice Chancellor of Dining Services Alan Kuebler, friendly employees are a main draw for the carvery. Kuebler said that the Holmes Lounge staff will be placed in other locations at the University.

“If Holmes Lounge closes, there will absolutely be work for the good people at the carvery elsewhere on campus, most likely at Parkside,” Kuebler said.

The University is exploring different options for how to utilize the space the carvery currently occupies, including transitioning the carvery into a coffee shop.

“It probably will continue to be a place for coffee and those kinds of things if you’re going to study. It’s a beautiful place and we’re contemplating what to do to make sure it continues to be a gathering place on campus,” Carter said.

Etta’s Cafe, which was slated for closure at the start of last year before backlash from Sam Fox students put those plans on hold, is also set to close. There are no concrete plans for how the space will be used.

Kuebler emphasized that so far all the University has is a working plan, and no final decisions have yet been made. Finalized plans will be set within the next five to six months.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do over the next several months looking at customer counts, the financial picture and getting a lot of customer feedback as well,” Kuebler said.