This September, the University of Chicago’s administration announced two new additions to the dining program for this school year. The University opened its first on-site cooking restaurant in the new William Eckhardt Research Center building, and students are now able to spend Maroon Dollars at the Smart Museum Café.

The Quantum Café, an 86-seat restaurant on the first floor of the William Eckhardt Research Center, is scheduled to open this fall. The on-site cooking restaurant will feature traditional American salads, sandwiches, and burgers.

The University Dining office wrote in a statement, “Students identified the Smart Museum café as a place where they would like to use their Maroon Dollars.” The statement also reads, “UChicago Dining is not looking to expand to other locations at this time but is open to suggestions and feedback from student dining committees.”

Some students think the University should revise current ways of allowing students to spend their Maroon Dollars. Although he is excited about the recent changes, second-year Joe Klafka suggested giving students more Maroon Dollars in order to maximize their eating options, rather than expanding the number of places where they can spend the Maroon Dollars they are given, which varies from $100–$200 depending on the student’s meal plan.

“What we as a student body will need is, instead of more places to spend our money, more money to spend in those places. The cost of increasing Maroon Dollars with the Phoenix and Apartment Meal plans is more than offset by the reduction in meals per quarter for those plans. The students, especially ones new to the College this year, receive a deluge of dining hall fare with the Unlimited Meal Plan,” Klafka said.