THE PENDULUM

Students walking down Williamson Avenue are accustomed to passing the large windows of Cantina, and nearly everyone has tasted the gooey dough of the famous Killer Cookie. Starting this fall, Cantina will no longer be snuggled next to Acorn. Current renovation will change the former southwestern themed restaurant into the more nostalgic atmosphere of Brown & Co.

The decision to change stemmed from puzzlement many experienced when comparing Cantina’s name to its food selection.

“The name was a little misleading – lots of folks thought it was a Mexican restaurant,” said Vickie Somers, director of auxiliary services.

Cantina had trouble bringing in students at lunch time since many were hurrying from class to class.

“We weren’t getting the daytime traffic,” said Jeff Gazda, ARAMARK resident district manager. “We want to draw that lunch crowd along with locals.”

Students worried about menu favorites disappearing don’t have to fear—Cantina’s top 15 menu items will appear on the Brown & Co. menu as well as other dishes.

“As a general rule, if something doesn’t work, we take it off,” Gazda said.

There will be new lunch specials but the restaurant hours will remain the same, prices will be comparable to those offered at Cantina and the general layout will go unchanged. Even those students who were employed at Cantina last semester will be able to return to their jobs under the new Brown & Co.

The most change will come from additional food choices and décor alterations. Structural changes include new floors, paint, lighting and chairs.

“New color scheme and layout will be more comfortable and updated,” Gazda said.

Brown & Co. will feature old photos of campus including that of the original Brown & Co. that used to neighbor Acorn. The former Brown & Co. operated for more than 20 years and more than 200 alumni responded to questionnaires about the eatery, raving about the food and ambiance.

“At that time it was the one place you could go off campus in Elon,” Somers said.

ARAMARK staff members said they hope the new Brown & Co. will be a blend of both past and present Elon tastes.

“It’s going to be neat for older and new alumni to have a fusion of restaurants,” said Rita Gordish, ARAMARK district marketing manager.

The renovation of Cantina is part of dining services’ larger goal to provide Elon students with a wide variety of food options.

“We want to have as many locations as unique as possible, which is different for a small campus like this,” Gazda said. “It’s all student-driven but we are also trying to promote community stewardship.”

Besides changes to Octagon and Lighthouse, Varsity will even be undergoing some redecoration. New murals will be seen on the walls in the fall and the leather chairs in the television lounge will be replaced. Gazda commented that Harden will probably be one the next dining placesto undergo revisions.

Brown & Co. should be ready for new and returning students when classes begin in the fall.