Then and now: Troy dining

During my internship this summer, one of my co-workers gave me the idea to start a ‘Then and Now’ column for how Troy University has changed over the years.

There have been so many changes recently that I have decided to go back each week and concentrate on one area of Troy that has changed.

I hope that this column comes to be something that you all look forward to each week.

So, this week I looked at some of the ways dining options have been transformed.

One of the most obvious and recent changes to the Troy campus is the updates to dining options that were made over the summer.

The differences to the Trojan Center are astounding, and it is surprising that the change was completed so quickly.

Steak ’n Shake has replaced A&W. Chick-fil-A is now full service. Marketplace is no more.

The addition of Marble Slab and Great American Cookies gives students more sweet options, especially because Great American Cookies will sell cookie cakes at this location.

Some favorites like Einstein’s and Mein Bowl received face-lifts.

Trojan Dining, more commonly known among students as “Saga,” opened in 2011. The original dining hall was found in Stewart Hall, which, after major renovations, is now the entrance to the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park.

Have you ever wondered how the nickname Saga came about? It is actually a pretty straightforward answer. The company that once handled food in the old dining hall was called Saga, so the students took to calling the new dining hall Saga, to the dismay of Sodexo employees.

So, why do we not call the new dining hall Sodexo? I guess old habits do die hard.