With eight different dining locations across campus, students have a wide variety to choose from. However, the Pioneer Crossing, which has seven different eating options, has been bringing in the most students, staff and faculty partly because of the option of the Mongolian Grill on Fridays at the Asian Wok at $5.99 a plate.
“Mongolian Grill began six years ago,” said Asian Wok chef Shusen Zhang. “The first time we had it, we served 37 people. Last week we served 342.”
On average, the Mongolian Grill brings in around $2,400 every Friday.
Zhang said he believes it’s so popular because “[Students] have their own choices of what they want to put in it. There are 16 different sauces, oils and seasonings that make it easy to make your meal how you want.”
Food Service Administrator, David Ernst, explained that because of the popularity, Stations in Bridgeway Commons has adapted their own stir-fry option.
Ernst also said that Mongolian Grill is “only served on Fridays because of the amount of time and large quantity there is of prep work. Most of the sauces are made from scratch.”
The cashiers that work in the Pioneer Crossing experience the increased sales and students on Fridays.
“It’s something different and they can make their own dishes,” Tanya “Tweet”, cashier at the Crossing, said.
Kelly Menten, junior, biology major expressed that she looks forward to Mongolian Grill every week.
“It’s more variety and I like that I can try different sauces and veggie combinations whenever I go. It’s delicious,” Menten said.