New recipes. New restaurants. New views.
That's the gravitational pull of the Lodge Dining Center, the University of Montana's new food hall that opened to students this week after years of planning and construction. The new hall, featuring traces of Montana's history and culture, off ers eight diff erent eating options, two second-floor patios and a more efficient way to serve students compared with the old Food Zoo dining center. "(The Lodge) is a 38,000-squarefoot encapsulation of our great state," University of Montana President Seth Bodnar said Thursday.
"This building truly is a love letter to Montana, and I could not be more excited about the way this facility came to fruition, and frankly it exceeded my highest expectations." The dining hall cost $50 million and construction began in late 2021. Bodnar said the new center pays homage to Montana's past, while off ering a new space for the students of the university's future.
For decades, students primarily dined in the Food Zoo, a sunken one-room space that offered multiple buffet-style options. UM Dining Director Richard Huffman said the layout and size at times caused logistical issues. "The Food Zoo had its time, it was really special at one time, but we outgrew it and the technology outgrew it," Huffman said.
"(The Lodge) gets UM back in the game." Instead of mostly buffet, the Lodge will feature several "pods" of restaurants with rotational and consistent menus. The area also offers top floor seating overlooking th.