Cantina Roble brings Southwestern fare to the downtown area.

By Mandy Dixon

What options do Elon faculty and staff have for lunch?

Sure, there are the old standbys, like Blue Ribbon burgers, Zack's hot dogs or Sal's pizzas. Closer to campus, Subway and Sidetrack Grill are popular with the Elon crowd. But what about those looking for something a little more…Southwestern?

Until recently, Alamance County didn't have much to offer in terms of Southwestern fare. Cantina Roble hopes to change all that.

The new restaurant opened March 8 and is located on the southwest side of campus, next door to the Acorn Coffee Shop. Jeff Gazda, director of food service for ARAMARK, says he envisioned a restaurant that would fit in with the downtown environment.

"We decided that Southwestern would be nice because we really don't have that here," Gazda says. He didn't want to create a sports bar or nightclub atmosphere, and a marketing analysis confirmed the lack of Southwestern cuisine in the area.

Gerald Whittington, Elon's vice president for business, finance and technology, says that he and Gazda wanted a theme restaurant with a contemporary appeal to fill the space formerly occupied by Brown and Company. Once they decided on the Southwestern theme, Cantina Roble was selected as the name. Cantina means bar in Spanish, and roble is the Spanish translation for oak.

Gazda says this facility differs from dining locations on campus because ARAMARK purchased the property and paid for the renovation. Elon provided the accounting department's old space, which was split between the new facility and the Acorn Coffee Shop.

Hoyt Taylor, the district manager for ARAMARK who worked with Gazda and Whittington on the concept, says that Elon and ARAMARK have enjoyed a close relationship over the past 42 years. "We've tried to keep Elon in the forefront with new ideas and concepts," he says. "We want this to be a very high quality restaurant at reasonable prices."

In addition to the brightly colored walls and Southwestern décor, Cantina Roble features an open kitchen between the restaurant and bar, which allows customers to see their food being prepared. Sue Leonard, head women's volleyball coach, liked what she saw during her first visit. "I think the atmosphere in there is really nice," she says. "The food selection gives us a different choice here in town."

Director of Annual Giving Jerry Tolley also liked the atmosphere, and he says the staff was very attentive during a recent lunch visit. (Cantina Roble employs 42 people, and many of these are Elon students.) "I enjoyed it, and I plan to go back," Tolley says.

As the restaurant gets established, Gazda hopes to attract regular customers from the local area as well. "We're operating it not only for the students, but for faculty and staff and the community," he says. "We want it to be a lively, fun place."

Whittington says he is pleased with what he's seen so far. "I think it's going to be an absolutely wonderful addition to the community," he says. "It's going to make the Town of Elon a real destination place."