'Rat' Expands Menu, Adds Options from Student Feedback

Sophomores Dominic Pody and Brittany Higgs chow down on a few of the Rat's new items.
(Photo by Student Media Photography Edtor Peter Flint)

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Student Government’s Food Committee has helped to bring new improvements to dining on campus this semester, and the Rathskeller is the first venue to adopt the changes with a menu expansion.

The Rathskeller – or as many students refer to the restaurant, “The Rat” – has expanded upon their menu from last semester based on feedback from customers and the Student Government Food Committee.

Accompanying the new menu, students can now use their meal plans at the Rathskeller – but only on the weekends, starting after 4 p.m. on Fridays and lasting until 9 p.m. on Sundays. The plan to implement meal plans at the Rathskeller started last semester, but administration had to wait until the beginning of this semester to make the switch.

“When we opened in the fall, we started with a limited menu given the new ordering system,” said Resident District Manager Denise Ammaccapane, who also heads up the Food Committee. “We had been doing a survey a few weeks prior to [the] semester’s end, asking customers what they liked and wanted. The menu is based on feedback from our customers and the Food Committee, which we meet with weekly.”

New menu fares include more burger options, a chicken tender platter, half a sandwich and salad, six types of chicken wings and more salads. According to Ammaccapane, Sloppy Joes remained on the menu by popular demand.

Meal plan usage during weekend hours and a new menu are not the only new additions at the Rathskeller this semester – groups of 15 people or more can also now book a section just for themselves and, additionally, are offered the option to use a catering menu designed specifically for a large group.

The Food Committee consists of student senators from the University Services Committee of Student Government, the undersecretary of Dining Services, as well as Ammaccapane.