By Darren Loo, Aug. 27, 2024
From a new restaurant called The Patio by Innovation Brew Works to some new vending machines, Broncos are welcome back to school with new ways to eat around campus.
In the Bronco Student Center, what used to be Roundtable Pizza sits a new restaurant called The Patio by Innovation Brew Works. The menus at both The Patio and Innovation Brew Works are similar, but at The Patio, all the pizzas come in takeout boxes and there are also large pizza options, which looks like it can easily serve three to four people. The Patio also serves Brew Works beer.
Inside The Patio, there is limited seating, since it is in the BSC, there is plenty of seating right outside the restaurant. The Patio is also a great option for grab and go food, although the wait can be up to 20 to 30 minutes long during lunch hours, especially Tuesdays and Thursdays during U-hour. The Patio’s prices are the same as Brew Works. A medium pizza costs around $13, which could serve one to two people.
To avoid long wait times not only at The Patio, but at many other restaurants around campus, use Grubhub to order food before heading over to pick it up. The prices at The Patio are the same in person and on Grubhub.
To order from on-campus restaurants through Grubhub, students need to add Cal Poly Pomona to their accounts. Under the account menu, there is an option called “Campus Dining.” Follow the instructions to add Cal Poly Pomona. Then campus restaurants will show up on your Grubhub account.
Moving on to the new Foodture vending machines, they were a bit disappointing. When I went to try the food from these machines, almost all the food was out of stock aside from the Mac & Cheese and the Chocolate Lava Cake. The Mac & Cheese is priced at $8.46, and the Lava Cake is $7.56. Although it was pricy, the food was good, especially considering it was coming from a vending machine. The food takes about two to three minutes to be heated.
The food came out properly warmed up and hot. The Mac & Cheese had a sharp cheesy flavor, and the cheese was velvety and stretchy, but the macaroni was a little on the mushy side. The Mac & Cheese from the vending machine has a similar flavor to Brew Works’ Mac & Cheese. The Lava Cake had a nice gooey center, a nice fluffy texture and was quite moist. The Lava Cake also came with a melted marshmallow, some peach slices and a cherry.
The food came with a wood-like compostable fork and a paper napkin. I wouldn’t be getting food from the Foodture vending machines every day, but for those days I am in a rush, and I want food quickly, I would consider it. The Foodture machines are great for those feeling hungry between class breaks, especially being conveniently located in the engineering building and the Marketplace, or those who want a late-night snack for those late-night study sessions.
Feature image courtesy of Darren Loo