Twenty-three years ago, construction began on the building that would come to be known as Holmes Dining Hall.  

Two years later, the building 鈥� then named the West Campus Dining Facility 鈥� opened, offering a new space for students to get food on campus. 

In the two decades since, the building has remained the same as it was the day it opened, red and black carpets fading under the feet of thousands of University of Northern Colorado (帝王会所) students. 

This year, that all changed.  

鈥淔or years, Holmes has needed a facelift,鈥� said Meagan Johnson, 帝王会所鈥檚 director of Dining Services. 鈥淪o, we did that and then some.鈥� 

In April, Holmes shut its doors to the public in preparation for a major overhaul. The renovation was fueled by a $5.5 million investment from Sodexo, with the goal of transforming the dining hall into a place that showcases new culinary technologies, facilitates training student workers in top-of-the-line cooking techniques and, above all else, creates a space where students want to come and enjoy a meal. 

This project is part of Dining Service鈥檚 鈥淥ne & All鈥� program, which aims to reshape the dining spaces on campus to make them more inviting and welcoming to everyone who comes through their doors. 

Walking into the new and improved Holmes Dining Hall, there鈥檚 little about the space that 丑补蝉苍鈥檛 changed. From the soaring mountain motifs running along the walls of the entrance hall to the broad, brightly-lit eating spaces and pristine, modern cooking stations, all the way down to details like the vibrant green-and-red moss wall (designed by a team of local artists) that decorates the back wall 鈥撯�� everything about the new space feels intentional and inviting.  

鈥淥ne of our main goals for this project was to create a space where everyone on campus can come and feel like they belong,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淪tudents who are away from home for the first time, missing their parents鈥� cooking or those who have been asking for an updated dining hall for years 鈥� this is the space for you.鈥� 

Designed with student feedback in mind, the interior of Holmes now features a dining area split into three distinct spaces.  

Closest to the entrance are stations where students can cook their own meals, with movable tables and chairs most reminiscent of a traditional dining hall.  

This spot is a favorite of Emma Whittaker, a senior Communication Studies major and Holmes Dining Hall student employee.  

鈥淚 like how light and open it all is. I never realized how dark the old space was,鈥� Whittaker said. 鈥淭he group seating makes more opportunities to be inclusive, [for students to] hang out with their friends or even make new friends.鈥� 

In the middle of the dining area, the seating takes on a more lounge-like feel, complete with low couches, booths, dining tables and a large television where students can gather to watch movies. 

Derrick Turner-Marlow, another Holmes student employee and first-year Psychology major, likes this area in particular.  

鈥淭here鈥檚 a really nice lounge space so students can just come in and chill,鈥� Turner-Marlow said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 plenty of space for everyone to do their own thing and not feel cramped or crowded.鈥� 

Additionally, there鈥檚 a private room in the back of the building that anyone can reserve for private events, meals, movie screenings and more. 

And tucked in the very back corner of the hall, diners can enjoy what Johnson dubbed 鈥渢he library,鈥� a quieter space with more gentle lighting, standalone tables and a suite of study nooks set into the building鈥檚 north wall. 

This section is the one that Blake Hays, lead student supervisor at Holmes and senior Earth Sciences major, enjoys the most.   

鈥淚鈥檝e been working here for four years now, and the spaces like the new study booths are awesome. I love it,鈥� Hays said. 

In between the tables and chairs, the pathways have been widened to allow for a more accessible eating environment. 

In addition to the revamped dining spaces, the remodel includes an update to all of the hall鈥檚 food stations. Students will be able to enjoy a wide variety of offerings, including Indian food, dining hall staples like pizza and pasta, Mexican food, health-focused options, gluten-free items and more.   

鈥淭here鈥檚 also been a complete overhaul of the recipes and ways we make the food, so everything should be tasting even better,鈥� Hays said. 

Food stations have been set up to allow students to customize their meals, building dishes in the ways that they鈥檇 like instead of offering exclusively pre-made options.  

It鈥檚 not just the building or the food that will be new and fresh this fall; Dining Services has a multitude of events like 鈥渟wipe plus nights鈥� where students can use an extra swipe of their dining plan to access unique and special food offerings. Other events include movies nights, giveaways and more. 

鈥淓very aspect of this project has been in service of trying to make the student experience better,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淲e know that if students are eating better, they鈥檙e typically happier, healthier, performing better in class and more likely to finish their degrees. Food might seem like a small piece of that, but it鈥檚 something that matters a lot to us.鈥�