Campus dining will receive a lift in food variety and comfort level with the university’s plans to open new dining services and provide additional seating in the University Union.

Two additional restaurants have already opened on campus this semester and two more are scheduled to open sometime between late fall and spring.

Saigon Bay, a restaurant that will feature Vietnamese food, Asian-French sandwiches and Asian-style beverages, will be located at the Outpost cafe. Saigon Bay is scheduled to open sometime between late this semester and early spring.

A fifth Java City location is also scheduled to open around the same time. The new location will be at the breezeway of the library.

University Enterprises, Inc. has played a key role in keeping a variety of dining services on campus. Matt Altier, vice president for Planning and Resource Development and executive director of University Enterprises, said that the corporation tries to provide a mix of different types of restaurants.

“We try to keep a balance of different restaurants,” Altier said. “We try to get the kind of food people want and provide a mixture of fast food and restaurant-style dining.”

Stephanie Ewing, a registered dietitian in dining service, said the dining locations on campus serve a wide array of food, from grab-and-go items to a full-service restaurant.

Christopher Berry, a business major, said that the variety has been good on campus, but that the addition of Saigon Bay will bring even more variety.

“I think it would be great if they added a Vietnamese restaurant on campus,” Berry said. “It’ll be something different.”

The process of bringing the variety, Altier said, can differ with each company. Some companies contact University Enterprises to open up a branch on campus, and sometimes the corporation asks restaurants to come.

“Sometimes the space the company needs is something we cannot provide,” Altier said. In cases such as this, the company can put capital investment into the project to match their needs, and the investments determine the company’s rent price on campus.

The contracts with the new restaurants can last anywhere from three to 10 years, Altier said.

Eateries that come on campus usually break even financially, Altier said. Some of the money goes back to University Enterprises but it usually results in a break-even-style business.

The addition of new dining services and knowing how to order in advance may also help relieve long lines. Approximately 25,000 to 28,000 Sac State customers are served each day.

“During rush hour, the lines are horrible,” Berry said.

Ewing said that the lines do vary with each location and during different time periods throughout the day.

But the companies have methods of easing the lines. Togo’s has pre-made sandwiches and salads. They also have a system where customers can call or fax orders in advance.

Java City also has pre-made sandwiches and salads. Burger King offers an express window with a limited menu. Round Table Pizza has an express lunch. Gordito Burrito and Da Deli have employees taking the customers’ orders while in line to lessen the wait.

The Kung Fu Fat’s and Mother India location have entrees already cooked and available. The Dining Commons, near the dormitories, offers an all-you-can-eat buffet that is open to all students.

“Each dining operation is designed to move the customers through as quickly as possible while maintaining all food quality and food safety standards,” Ewing said.

Plans for additional seating at the union are being processed. The decision of adding seating to the union was through an e-mail survey that was sent out a few years back, said Don Tucker, associate director of operations at the University Union.

“The No. 1 problem that was identified was seating for dining,” Tucker said. “We took this information and presented it to the University Union Board of Directors, a student majority board that makes policies for the Student University Union.”

Tucker explained that there are two phases of the additional seating. The first is to provide more outdoor seating, which will all be covered either with solid covers or trellises, along the east walkway adjacent to Serna Plaza.

This project will add about 150 seats. The plans are going out to bid Thursday. Construction is scheduled to begin in late October and be completed in about two months.

The second phase of the project, scheduled to begin two or three years from now, will provide more indoor seating. The plan is to convert the union’s Redwood Room into an indoor dining area, which would provide 200 more seats.

Tucker said the cost of construction for the additional seating is paid for with student fees. The price of the construction for the outdoor seating will be decided when the plans go out to bid.

Nika Megino can be reached at [email protected]