Another Bryan Center dining venue will be replaced next fall along with Panda Express.
A favorite of Duke students since 2000, The Loop will cease on-campus operations on May 5 after its contract with Duke for its Bryan Center location expires at the end of the school year, per a release from Duke Dining. Thrive Kitchen and Catering will open a new dining venue in its place next fall.
The release comes after Duke Dining announced that it would close the Bryan Center's Panda Express location on May 5, replacing it with It’s Thyme.
Thrive Kitchen and Catering currently occupies a location on the first floor of 300 Swift Apartments, serving toasts, smoothies, grain bowls, salads, sandwiches and daily dinner specials. The Devil’s Krafthouse, a pub located on the ground floor of the Brodhead Center, is also operated by Thrive Kitchen and Catering.
As The Loop’s Bryan Center location transitions to Thrive Kitchen and Catering, the space will also see renovations that will “expand the space’s capabilities for special events hosted by student groups,” according to the release.
“Just as we have with Thrive Kitchen & Catering and The Devil’s Krafthouse, we will continue to focus on providing an exceptional customer experience for the students, faculty & staff,” said Reed Frankel, the owner of Thrive Kitchen and Catering, in the release.
The Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee was involved in selecting Thrive Kitchen and Catering as the new vendor for the space, as it was for selecting the replacement for Panda Express. In the release, DUSDAC co-chair Karina Marinovich, a sophomore, described Thrive Kitchen and Catering’s food as “incredible” and expressed gratitude that dining administrators sought out a student perspective when making their decision.
“We’re looking forward to partnering with Thrive Kitchen and Catering on this new opportunity to create an engaging space that will benefit the student and Duke community experience,” said Aris Marton, director of retail operations for Duke Dining, in the release.
Executive Director of Dining Robert Coffey did not immediately respond to The Chronicle’s request for comment regarding the timeline for the new dining venue to begin operations, whether employees at The Loop would be offered positions at the replacement dining venue and the decision to not renew The Loop’s contract with the University.
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Holly Keegan is a Trinity junior and a senior editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.