Memorial's Grenfell Campus opens new dining hall, The Grove

Eating meals at Memorial University's Grenfell Campus just got easier for students, with the opening of The Grove dining hall.

The food service began this week for those who live on or off campus, and includes the option to purchase a meal plan.

Daniel Rumbolt, president of the Grenfell Campus Student Union, said it was important to provide a variety of options.

"We have had a lot of people over the years come to us, asking for a change. We really wanted to accommodate our students and their dietary needs," said Rumbolt.

"If the student wanted to come down on the weekend and pick up two litres of milk or grocery items, it's really nice to see that, because before this year, students didn't have anywhere to get food on campus during the weekends."

With almost 200 seats in the dining space, Rumbolt said the cafeteria has become a community gathering area, bringing students out of their dorm rooms and down to the main space.

The Grove is run by the student union and also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free fare.

Student Sarah Langer told CBC she was pleased with the healthier options.

"I did try a salad here … it was really good. I did find a lot of the options really healthy — that's the main thing," Langer said.

Students can put up to $2,000 on their accounts and use their student IDs to pay.

However, the meal plan isn't mandatory, as students can still purchase groceries and cook meals in the dorms.

For those who don't want to do any cooking, ready-made meals are available for take out.

The Grove is located on the lower level of Grenfell Campus.