Rudy’s Cafe reopens in business school

After providing the university with a sizable donation, Robert H. Smith had one final wish for the building that holds his namesake — for students to enjoy meals at a gourmet-style cafe.

Dining Services officials were able to renovate Rudy's Cafe, which sits in the business school, because of a private donation from Smith himself, who insisted before his death in 2009 that the money be used explicitly to improve the cafe. The revamped eatery — which reopened last Monday — now boasts an expanded menu, including pre-made sandwiches, snacks, made-to-order entrees and a salad bar, according to Dining Services officials.

"[The Smith family] really wants things to be done properly in the two Smith buildings," said Dining Services Spokesman Bart Hipple. "When they realized that Rudy's needed remodeling, they supported that."

Although the Smith family declined to disclose the amount of the donation, they took charge of the renovations, which began last spring. They consulted Dining Services officials on what kinds of equipment to purchase, the cafe's spatial limitations and necessary health department regulations.

While the project was delayed for a multitude of reasons, including late equipment, officials said they are pleased with the final product. Rudy's is one of the campus' largest and most popular cafes, according to Dining Services officials; students can use Terp Bucks, Terrapin Express, cash or credit to pay for the food at the cafe.

"We certainly hope that [Rudy's] will help change the image of the cafes on campus," Hipple said. "Our goal is that our service live up to the facility, because it's a beautiful facility."

But some students said they are less than impressed and don't see much of a difference in the cafe before and after renovations.

Chris Johnson, a business graduate student, said the food isn't worth the lines and crowds customers have to face during the cafe's busiest hours.

"It's fine when it's not crowded, but at noon when everyone's here, it's a bit crazy," he said. "I'm not sure what they were going for really; the food is similar quality."

But other students said the redesigned cafe surpassed their expectations.

"There's a lot more fresh food than I expected," senior accounting major Stephanie Vara said. "And if you want something, they'll make it for you."

Officials said they expect Rudy's to continue operating successfully and remain a popular eating venue for students.

"It has been one of our more successful shops because of the location, because of the convenience and because of the size and organization of the physical space," Hipple said. "We're able to do things there that we cannot do at other places."

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