On Feb. 6, the Centerpointe Dining Commons drew in a large crowd for its grand opening celebration from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Officially opened on Jan. 13, Centerpointe was part of the $185 million residential hall complex project that included the new Sicomora (Building 73) and Secoya (Building 74) halls.
For $10, or $9 with Bronco Bucks or meal points, Centerpointe provided an all-you-can-eat lunch special at the grand opening that featured a live DJ, photo booth, balloon artist, silhouette artist and a drawing for a Nintendo Switch console.
Arielle Torrez, marketing development coordinator for Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc., led as the head coordinator for the Centerpointe Dining Commons grand opening celebration event.
When describing the preparations, Torrez said the event was meant for the students of CPP. She also added how the main idea was to “hold the celebration both inside and outside for the entire campus to enjoy.”
Jizelle Saucedo | The Poly Post
“The reputation that we would like to create for the CPP community is that Centerpointe is a gathering space for all,” Torrez said. “Whether you want to grab lunch with a friend, study for a test or host a meeting, Centerpointe Dining Commons works to create an inviting environment with delicious and nutritious food options.”
Outside of the Centerpointe Dining Commons, employees served free samples of sushi and popular desserts for people to enjoy before entering the event.
Lollicup Fresh also provided samples of various boba drinks to preview what different beverages are available for purchase.
Centerpointe offers many different dining options to choose from, with food stations including Fusion Bar, Firehouse, Charred, Gone Global, Between Two Slices, Sweet Spot and a sushi and salad bar with CPP-grown produce, which includes vegan, gluten-free and allergen-free options.
“I think many people that didn’t know much about (the) dining hall got a chance to try the food samples to see what the food tastes like,” said fourth-year accounting student Kelly Quash.
Quash said she believes this event helped students learn more about the new Centerpointe Dining Commons and allowed them to try some of what it had to offer.
In addition, the outdoor spaces were available for students to enjoy the samples and visit various vendor booths from CPP Foundation, Inc.
During the event, first-year electrical engineering student Shawn Grant expressed how surprised he was of the crowd that attended the event.
“Since I’m a resident of the new dorms, I come here very often,” Grant said. “However, this was the first time that I have seen this many people waiting in line to get inside. There are so many new faces that don’t always come to the dining hall. I hope that they decide to come back in the future to eat here.”