chron.com | tubular tv | comics | games | horoscopes | iPhone | Quick Search
With its convenience store, Wendy’s and four other restaurants, the University Center is the heart of campus life at UH’s main campus.
So when Geoff Herbert first heard about the plan to completely remodel the center, he asked what anyone responsible for providing food to 30,000 students on a daily basis would ask: “What do you mean we’re going to be closed for 18 months?”
Once the shock had worn off, Herbert, director of operations for the University of Houston Dining Services, knew that he would have to find a way to feed the students.
Chicken and waffle (with chipotle mayo) sandwich as served by the Waffle Bus.: Brett Coomer photos : 29-95
“I’m not sure exactly which meeting it was or whose idea it was but the idea of bringing food trucks on campus to fill the void quickly took hold. It seemed like a natural, food trucks are a new and exciting venue for food service and at the same time we can take care of our constituents,” Herbert said.
The University Center was closed at the end of the spring semester, and on June 4 three food trucks rolled onto campus. The mobile kitchens are scheduled to bearound (in front of the shuttered center) until November or December 2013.
Herbert and his culinary team picked three trucks: Bernie's Burger Bus, the Waffle Bus and Bare Bowls Kitchen. One or more of the buses are serving the campus 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
“Really, Phi Nguyen of the Waffle bus, who is a graduate of the university, heard that the UC was shutting down and he approached us and asked if he could participate,” Herbert said. “I guess the food truck community is pretty tight because word travelled fast and we started getting calls from a lot of the trucks. We either went out to try their food or we had them prepare something and bring it to us to try.”
Herbert said the buses have been a hit with the students.
“There was a lot of buzz on campus about the trucks,” he said, “with people wanting to know when they were coming and which ones were going to be here. So far, all of the comments have been positive. People are impressed with the quality (of the food) and excited to have the trucks here.”
“The trucks really add a nice touch, they’re pretty neat,” said student Christian Osorio. “I used to attend Texas State and there they have lots of food trucks on campus.”
UH student Steven Addison thinks the trucks are a good idea.
“They’re a better option than going to a big chain restaurant and I’m guessing the food is less processed,” he said.
“There is a lot of young, energetic and creative talent in culinary schools and what better way to harness this than in a food truck, without the expense of a brick and mortar place? It’s the ultimate American success story,” Herbert said.
Editors note: Freelance writer Paul Galvani, author of the upcoming guide Houston's Top 100 Food Trucks, has a financial interest in the Bare Bowls food truck.
You can bet that the establishment will run off the trucks as soon as the remodeling job is over.
We can only hope & pray they run them off!!!!
Maybe. Maybe not. It's not like the trucks are parked on the side of the street; they actuall put down new pavement near the UC, that seems made just for the trucks. I don't see it being used as an expanded walkway.
*Kicks rocks* well it's NOT FAIR. All I got was Wendy's or that awful pita place.
I was at UH last week and spent $15.00 on just a burger,fries, and coke from one of these food trucks. A little much, don't you think?
thats absurd, way more than it would have been at wendy's. they know they are feeding poor college students right. For a bit more you could have gone to the hotel and ate a gourmet burger
It is a gourmet burger. Hand crafted and worth the cost.
hand crafted in this case just means they made it by hand (compared to McDonald's - where they are made by machine. still a bit overpriced at $8.
No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to eat at Bernie's Burger Bus. Walk to the Satellite and have as much cheap junkfood as you can handle. Make sure to complain the whole time, though!
Newsflash: Burgers are junk food, too.
The word you were supposed to zone in on there was "cheap" :P
Maybe. But you also have to factor in the quality. I'm not sure which truck you're referring to, but Bernie's Burger Bus makes pretty darn great burgers from black angus beef. Plus they use local Texas cheddar. House-made condiments. It's not just another run of the mill chain.
If you think it's overpriced, don't buy it. Vote with your wallet. I too think it's rather pricey, but after trying it out for my first time last week, I was very pleased with the burger I had. I wouldn't mind saving a dollar or two for better burgers. Plus I tend to get my soft drink fix elsewhere.
really you cant list the four other restaurants there? If it hasnt changed since I was there in 07, its was Wendy's, Subway, Chick-fill-a, a sushi bar and a pasta bar. Plus the coffee and pastry shop in the mornings. Guess maybe its changed a little since I listed more than four places but would it have been that hard to find out
Gee, could it be because they are ALL GONE? The food court is closed, man.
Wendy's is gone as well (it's a bit outside the regular court).
They are in Phase 1 of renovations now. There are 2 Phases.
New food court will have Chick-Fil-A (previously only in the satellite, btw), Panda Express, McDonalds (no more Wendy's), Starbucks, and some place called Freshii
So, I guess for you, this WAS that hard to find out.
"Chick-Fil-A (previously only in the satellite, btw)"
There was always a Chick-fil-a at both the UC and UC Satellite since I've been there. I've been there for the past two years now.
Yup, you're right.
Apologies.
The article states it will be closed for 18 months, btw.
I dont even know if that pasta bar was still around when I attended. I graduated in December 2011.
There was a pita place, a little kiosk with salad and hardboiled eggs and stuff like that, the sushi bar was still there, and the subway was still there.
Maybe the pita place is where the pasta bar used to be.
$15 when I was in college a few years ago was 3 meals. Are kids throwing this kind of money around?
Lol. These are options. I'm guessing these food trucks are more like treats for a vast majority of students, rather than a daily meal.
I do see a lot of staff or faculty frequent it though, or people off campus that just came to get a bite from those trucks.
Even now, I'd do the same with $15 bucks. I can generally get 3 meals for that price if I don't bother with the drink. However, it all depends on how many 'meals' you need. I tried one of the burgers at a truck and I left quite happy. I wouldn't mind skipping a meal or two just to have something really good and tasty.
I remember going to the Satellite for the baked potato bar and the Pizza Hut individual pizzas and the occasional long lunch leaving campus to go to Kim Son. Now they have Chick fil A and Kim Son AT THE SATELLITE?! My, times have changed.
Yep. Times have changed. Though to be fair, from what my friends say, the Kim Son isn't really that great in the Sat. It's doable, but it's not as great as the real Kim Son. Though a baked potato bar would have sounded way cooler.
you might have to kick alison cook out of your way. she loves her burgers, burgers, burgers. she doesn't know much about real food. but food trucks and burgers? alison is all about food trucks and burgers. maybe when she grows up and gets a real job she'll go to a real restaurant and......have a burger.
Wow!
What an ignorant comment....this article is not about Allison, it is about UH. There were lots of restaurants on her top 100 that don't serve burgers at all. And did you ever think maybe her burger Friday has a lot to do with the fact that we live in Texas?? People like burgers here. If you don't, maybe you should live somewhere else, we'll gladly replace you.
Wendy's is no more. They replacing Wendy’s with McDonald. Taco Cabana is coming to the campus. Yeah! The food truck is not cheap at all. The food establishment needs to train some food server some manner at UH. The food at the Moody Tower was once very good when they remodel the place. Now once or awhile the food is good or sometime is bad for your stomach.
I'm somewhat not so sad to see this particularly Wendy's going away. Their fries always tasted over-salted, especially given it's sea salt. However, both are fairly already close to campus, with Wendy's across Scott and McDonald's already across from Cullen. Not sure if we need another one of either.
Yeah, the new Moody Tower was awesome when they reopened, but towards the spring semester it just started getting bland and not so tasty. I guess they realized they had a budget or Aramark wanted more profits.
In general, I agree that the food servers can be a bit more polite. Not all of them are bad, but there's enough of them to make it feel like you don't want to be there.
UH should have contacted Jus' Mac to open on campus. I can eat mac and cheese every day.