If you walked into the Marketplace this semester and were disappointed to find that the only Mexican food option, Wholly Habaneros, had vanished, you weren’t alone. While it was open infrequently compared to other stations, Wholly Habaneros was convenient for when you had a Chipotle craving but had no desire to leave the University Union.
In its place, Binghamton University Dining Services by Sodexo has opened a new station with rotating offerings and clever names to match. Last week it was B-Cheesy, which offered grilled cheese sandwiches with toppings like pickles and potato chips. This week, it’s Bodacious Burgers, which features grill food with interesting twists.
The quarter-pound Mac & Cheese hot dog is a must-have from the Bodacious Burger station. Topped with macaroni and cheese, crispy bacon and sliced scallions, this meal is an extreme mixture of flavors that culminates in a terrific taste. The Blue Ribbon BBQ burger is another option worth your meal plan, topped with cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion and bacon.
Tom LaSarso, director of retail operations for Binghamton University Dining, said that based on college students’ interests in restaurants like Moe’s and Chipotle, the dining team figured that the station would be successful, but LaSarso said there was “not a big demand.”
“We want to draw interest for the students obviously,” LaSarso said. “We were just not getting traffic back there for the Wholly Habaneros concept.”
In response, he said that the team reached out to the Student Culinary Council — a group of students who work with dining services to improve the campus dining experience — which suggested alternating between burgers and sandwiches or grilled cheeses. LaSarso also said that after spring break, there will be a Greek food station and a Mindful — meaning health-oriented — station alternating with the burgers and grilled cheeses.
Ultimately, LaSarso said that “the idea is to get something permanent,” whether through a Sodexo concept or an outside restaurant like Tully’s and Moghul. At the end of the semester, a decision will be made on what this outlet should become. For now, however, Sodexo is modeling the use of the space as a food-truck concept.
“You go to L.A. or New York and there’s a different food truck parked on a corner,” LaSarso said. “Every week there would be a different theme to try and keep the students’ interest there.”
Chick-N-Bap, a student-run enterprise that serves chicken over rice, will continue to operate out of the area on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Craig Wickizer, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, rarely ate at Wholly Habaneros, but said he likes the new station and its variations.
“I think it’s quite enjoyable,” Wickizer said. “It’s not as ridiculously priced as I thought it would be, being a rotating station, and it’s pretty good food.”
Valerie McNamara, a sophomore double-majoring in psychology and Spanish, is also a fan of the new station.
“The burger was pretty juicy and I thought it was pretty good,” McNamara said. “The onion rings are really good, too.”
McNamara had “The Jack Burger,” which is topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce and salsa. The burger also features avocado, which McNamara thought was “a really nice touch.”