Rocket Dining Announces New Concepts, Expanded Hours for Fall

Rocket Dining Announces New Concepts, Expanded Hours for Fall

As part of Rocket Dining's continued commitment to enhancing the campus dining experience, a variety of requested and popular options will debut for fall 2026 semester.

Food Hall at Ottawa East will transition from an all-you-care-to-eat dining hall to Social House, a new residential retail dining destination designed to better meet students' evolving needs.

Social House will feature three made-to-order dining concepts - Ciao Bella, Smash'd and Melt - where students can conveniently place orders through self-service kiosks, along with a complimentary salad station.

Ciao Bella, currently located inside Market at Ottawa East, will move inside Social House and continue to serve student-favorite made-to-order pasta.

Smash'd will feature customizable loaded baked potatoes inspired by the viral food trend, and Melt will serve classic patty melts alongside a selection of late-night favorites.

Open Sunday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Social House was developed in response to student feedback gathered through fall 2025 Voice to Vision survey, which identified a strong desire for expanded late-night dining options. Social House will also serve as the new home for Rocket Dining's popular Teaching Kitchen series, creating additional opportunities for culinary education and campus engagement.

Additional enhancements include the transformation of Market at Ottawa East into a 24/7 convenience market, providing students with around-the-clock access to grab-and-go meals, snacks and beverages. To complement these changes, Eatery at Thompson Student Union will become the University's primary all-you-care-to-eat dining hall with expanded operating hours. Beginning this fall, Eatery will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As part of these updates, Smoothie Lab at Thompson Student Union will close while Rocket Dining evaluates new dining concepts for the space. This temporary transition will provide opportunities to gather additional student feedback as Rocket Dining explores future dining options for the location.