The CIA’s student dining venue, The Egg, hatched one year ago. Trying to feed the college students with the most discerning tastes in America was a monumental task, but The Egg has been up to the challenge, serving 800,000 meals in its first year. The facility also produces its own beer, and 37,600 pints have been tapped from the kegs.
Incorporating the CIA’s Menus of Change principles into many of the dishes served, The Egg has a broad range of healthful, innovative food options. The 2,400 students on campus have eaten 16,450 blended burgers—with vegetables and whole grains replacing some of the meat—an average of almost seven per student.
Instead of sugary sodas, CIA students have filled their reusable cups with 6,600 gallons of fruit-and-vegetable-based agua frescas. The most popular dining option has proven to be Main Course Salad, which, as the name suggests, provides a full meal in a salad.
“The plant-forward dishes highlight quality ingredients and expose students to a different way of thinking about menus and cooking,” says Molly Buckie-Pinder ’05, general manager of The Egg. “The result has been an increase in vegetable consumption without decreasing satisfaction.”
Another unique aspect of The Egg is that some of the many contemporary dining options are actually classroom kitchens. The Non-Commercial Foodservice and High-Volume Production class serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner from “The Line.” Students in the Intrapreneurship concentration conceive and create a new concept each semester. The first year has seen Mexican street food, Middle Eastern market food, and potatoes with toppings from diverse world cuisines. A meatball concept is next up.
The Brewery at the CIA is home to the Art and Science of Brewing bachelor’s-level course. The 65 students who have taken the class brewed 4,700 gallons of beer in eight different styles.
The Egg is already the focal point of student life on campus. In addition to the many dining options, it features seven lounge areas with seating for 500, additional outdoor seating for 150 with spectacular views of the Hudson River, a special events stage, large multi-media screens for movie and sports nights, and dozens of charging stations.
One final figure about The Egg’s first year: There was one marriage proposal. She said “Yes!”
