The GSU Food Hall’s bold new lighting and new color palette give a whole new look to a campus staple.

Renovations

George Sherman Union Food Hall Gets a Major Makeover

The central campus space received new finishes, revamped eateries, and rebuilt kitchens this summer and fall

There have been many adjustments made to dining on campus since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Safety aside, one of the most prominent was this summer’s major renovation of the George Sherman Union’s dining spaces, which hadn’t received a facelift in over a decade. 

The newly renamed George Sherman Union Food Hall has improved customer flow and circulation and new retail venues featuring mobile ordering, on-site ordering, and convenient pickup locations. Each station received new finishes, including flooring, ceilings, and lighting, and the hall’s color palette changed drastically from reds and browns to a pristine white.  

An updated central production kitchen was also installed, with replaced plumbing infrastructure and new appliances, flooring, ceilings, and lighting. New sprinklers were also added throughout both the kitchen and the food hall.

While the GSU Food Hall’s renovations were finished on schedule, the COVID-19 pandemic did affect the timing of the project, according to Paul Riel, BU associate vice president for auxiliary services. Riel says work stopped on the project sometime in March, resulting in a 30- to 45-day pause.

“That was a time for us to have virtual conversations about what we were going to do and what a revised plan would look like,” Riel says. “All in all, we were able to stay on the project and get it finished, but it was a big effort to get us there.” 

James Boushka, Dining Services director of marketing, says the renovations were made to enhance the space. “Any student who had been here prior to this year, or even last year, would clearly recognize that the space was outdated,” Boushka says. Plans to renovate the GSU date back to 2017, he says, with the goal of making the space more economically viable and energy-efficient and creating a more exciting environment to better complement the new flavors found at its various venues. 

Asked what changes to the space have the most impact, Boushka points to the hall’s new visual aesthetic, redesigned color palette, and bold lighting. “The place is lit like it hasn’t been before,” he says, “and how cool is it to be in one of the only spaces on campus where you can see the Charles River and Commonwealth Avenue sitting in the same space?”

The GSU Food Hall’s extensive aesthetic renovations at the front of the house are only part of the upgrade: the kitchens also received a “floor-to-ceiling” renovation, according to Christopher Bee, campus culinary director. “We were working in a 60-year-old space,” Bee says, “so we were able to update those spaces for efficiency and worker safety.”

To decide what types of cuisine would be prepared in the Food Hall’s new kitchens, Bee points to an annual survey that asks students directly what they would like to eat. From that information, new flavor profiles and potential restaurants are chosen. 

“I do believe that we’ve accomplished our goal of creating a food hall atmosphere that’s inviting, with diverse offerings,” Bee says, “keeping some of the old classics that people want to see, number one being Panda Express, and then we have Rhett’s for burgers, and a very diverse portfolio of restaurants there.” 

Recent additions to the Food Hall include CRBC, a sandwich shop that boasts locally baked breads and craft deli meats, and Green & Grains, which offers seasonally crafted salads and grain bowls built with locally sourced ingredients that vary each week. 

There’s quite a difference between going to the GSU Food Hall now and going before the pandemic: its signature hustle and bustle has been greatly toned down, and there’s a noticeable absence of lines. Because of the pandemic, at present patrons can order meals from the venues only through Grubhub. 

“Our team has been very successful in pivoting, based on public health guidance, to ensure that we create a dining environment as safe as possible for those who choose to be on campus,” Boushka says.

Sahil Mohanty (ENG’22) says he likes the changes to what he considered an old and outdated space. “I think it looks a little more modern, sort of futuristic,” Mohanty says. “With the whole white look, it looks cleaner.” 

Riel is looking forward to the time when the GSU Food Hall renovations can be fully appreciated by all the BU community. 

“I think we’re all anxious for the day when we can put in all of the furniture that belongs in the space,” he says, “and fully open up the locations and allow students and faculty and staff to enjoy the project as intended.”