A new dining option for Southwestern cuisine has come to campus, as announced in a URochester dining Instagram post at the beginning of the semester. “Fresh. Fast. Flavorful. These aren’t just words; they are the standard our team is ready to set,” the Instagram post read.
The establishment, named Blue Cactus, sells Southwestern quesadillas, burritos, and bowls exclusively through Grubhub.
Student Government Committee Chair for Campus Life and junior Quinten Denkenberger explained in an interview with News Editor Yenah Park that the location would no longer close at 3 P.M., instead staying open much later.
Blue Cactus is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M., according to the University’s website.
Both student opinions and the University’s contracts with food services have recently shaped the dining experience, and Blue Cactus is no different. This stems from the University’s break from Harvest Table, a collegiate food service with which they were long-time partners.
“Because of this [break], they have a lot more latitude to make a lot of different changes to the dining locations,” Denkenberger said. He said that the University spoke with “ethnic and cultural student groups on campus” and that “a lot of their new recipe development [has] been getting a lot of feedback from those … students.”
Denkenberger added that the University is making efforts to consider student opinion. The annual survey, which is scheduled to go out to students in January or February this year, will offer space for feedback on student dining. Additionally, one student government senator is planning to provide a platform for student groups to submit their own favored recipes. Denkenberger then encouraged students to follow the school’s dining page on Instagram for updates.
