By Jamie Welch, Editor-in-Chief
The new temporary Bullet Hole has opened on campus, and we got an exclusive tour of the new facility. There is a lot that is the same – the friendly service and Chicken Finger Friday have not gone anywhere – but there is a lot that has changed.
When I approached the front door of the new space, I was struck by the terrace with trees and other plantings as well as ample seating. When I walked inside, I was immediately impressed with how spacious the new Bullet Hole is. Massive vaulted ceilings and vistas of glass make the space feel much larger than it really is. Furniture from the old Bullet Hole and the Junction makes an appearance in the new space, and even the Bullet Hole sign from the old CUB sits framed on the wall as an homage to the Bullet Hole of the past.
That is the motif of this new space – a nod to tradition and a look to the future. You will find venerable favorites like the sub line and the hot line – but you will find some changes.
The largest and most noticeable change is the design of the serving area in the new space. In the old space, the entrance and the exit were the same and it led to confusing lines that snaked all though the cramped space.
In the new Bullet Hole the serving area is designed like an upside down U, with the hotline, salad line, and sub line in one long loop with registers located at the other end of the U.
Another change is that the hot line’s grill is in the kitchen in the back – meaning that while in this temporary space the hot line will no longer grill items to order.
The Bullet Hole is debuting new washable plastic baskets for serving food in a move to increase the sustainability of their operations. Additionally, the to-go containers are now microwaveable, meaning that they can be saved and used again and again.
Although Ike’s is out of commission during the CUB renovation, there will be a salad line in the Bullet Hole with a similar offering to Ike’s. This line will run seven days a week from the start of lunch service to 7:00 p.m.
Other menu changes include a new mac and cheese that early reviewers say is exquisite, a change back to 16 inch pizzas, and bagels instead of English muffins on all hot line breakfast sandwiches.
Notably absent from the new space are the televisions students used to gather around on Sundays to eat wings and watch the football games. With the Junction gone this year and the removal of cable from the residence halls this summer, there are no spaces left on campus besides some residence hall common rooms, fraternity chapter houses, and the Jaeger Center to watch the game.
Bullet Hole supervisor Graham Larkin says that there may be some delays in service as the staff get used to the new space, and asks students to “bear with us” as they get into the swing of things. Larkin also invites students to talk to him or any other manager if they have suggestions. “We always want to listen to students,” Larkin said.
