Jim Wulforst, director of Dining Services, recently announced plans to bring Mandarin House Chinese food and Chick-Fil-A to campus.
In January, Wulforst stated that he would investigate the possibility of bringing an independent Chinese restaurant to the University Room, which is currently closed.
A committee of students and dining services staff members, which was formed as an off-shoot committee of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee, tested 11 different Chinese restaurants in the Durham area, Wulforst said. After careful consideration, it selected Mandarin House as the best Chinese restaurant in the area.
Beginning at the end of the semester, the seating area of the U-Room will be renovated in order to accommodate Mandarin House.
While the exact details of the contract between Mandarin House and the University are yet to be worked out, Wulforst said the owners of Mandarin House will manage the new facility. The University will draw 20 percent of the restaurant's revenue to pay for the cost of the facility.
Jack Chao, whose family owns both the Mandarin House and China Express restaurants, said that he was attracted to the campus by both the Duke name and its students. Chao added that he would like to employ students to help with his restaurant operation. "I try as much as I can to use local people and put back into the community," he said.
To supply the new restaurant with adequate cooking facilities, Wulforst said dining services will wall off a section of the kitchen now dedicated to the Great Hall and will supply all of the equipment necessary for the restaurant. The total available budget for the renovation of the U-Room is $75,000.
Wulforst said the Mandarin House operation will open for lunch and dinner in August and prices should average around $5 for lunch and just more than $7 for dinner.
While Mandarin House prepares to move into the U-Room, Wulforst said he has also negotiated a deal with Chick-Fil-A for the fast-food restaurant to move into what was previously the serving area of the U-Room.
To avoid the high cost of installing a new ventilation system to pump cooking fumes outside of the building-a system necessary for the Chick-Fil-A operation-Wulforst said Chick-Fil-A has developed a new ductless hood system that filters cooking fumes.
The equipment necessary for the Chick-Fil-A operation would be mobile in design, Wulforst said, in order to prepare for the possibility that the operation may be moved to the Bryan Center after it is renovated. He added that he expects the facility to begin operating during the summer.
Barry White, director of business development for Chick-Fil-A, said the new restaurant will offer the same limited menu available at the chain's 60 or 70 other college locations around the country, which include operations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.
White added that the restaurant will be operated by the University and staffed with University employees trained by Chick-Fil-A.
In explaining why his company was interested in moving on campus, White said the number-one complaint of Chick-Fil-A customers is that they have trouble getting to the restaurant as often as they would like.
"Chick-Fil-A has largely been available in malls," White said, "and we want to make it as convenient as possible for students." He added that the food will be priced similarly to that of other Chick-Fil-A operations in the area.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.