The slated March 1 opening of a new ethnic food restaurant in the Riverfront Center looks to provide satisfaction for the variety-starved.

“The campus needs new restaurants,” junior civil engineering major Larry Johnson said. “It’s better to have more options.”

Mego Mediterranean To-Go, the new restaurant currently under construction in the patio cafe area of the Riverfront Market near Togo’s, will offer a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods, Dining Service spokeswoman Stephanie Ewing said in an e-mail.

Gyros, Greek salads, kabobs and kumpir are a few of the items on the menu Mego intends to offer Sacramento State eateries.

“Mego is self-supported by the owners of the restaurant, all construction is self-invested,” Ewing said.

Students at the Riverfront Center said construction has posed little inconvenience to their use of the facility.

Sophomore journalism major Kalie Young, who was sitting directly in front of the window where Mego is being installed, said she wasn’t bothered at all.

“I’m surprised because I was able to talk to people inside and it wasn’t too noisy or anything,” Young said. “That’s what you usually expect with construction.”

Mego’s installation into a brandnew location also meant that Dining Services had to remove three vending machines and relocate a few tables and chairs.

Some students lamented the loss of indoor seating that comes with Mego’s installation.

“(Seating availability) should be fine for summer and early fall. During the winter time, it’s going to be pretty bad because people want to sit inside,” Johnson said.

Personal preference, not seasonal climate, was the big factor for sophomore family and consumer science major Ke’ayna Kennedy.

“I do like sitting inside because I get cold really quick. That’s one downside,” Kennedy said.

Young, who considers herself a frequent diner at the Riverfront Center, said she considered indoor seating availability limited before construction even began.

“It’s already hard to find indoor seating, especially during lunch hour,” she said.

Students indicated that despite the seating setback, they were still excited about having a new dining venue to sample while on campus.

“I like trying different things every day,” Young said.

Ewing said meeting customers’ growing needs for more food diversity was a goal Dining Services was happy to address with Mego’s opening.

“Mego will be a wonderful addition to the campus and will definitely increase customer satisfaction,” Ewing said. “Mego will add another dining outlet with healthy options to meet the need of the health-conscious customer and also those who just want great food.”

Marilen Bugarin can be reached at [email protected]