Leeds School of Business Dean Dennis Ahlburg stands in front of an ice sculpture of the new Koelbel building at a recent staff appreciation event, catered by Café Eurest. (Photo/Patrick Campbell)

The Koelbel Building has brought a new dining option to campus: Café Eurest at the Leeds School of Business. The café serves meals from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Koelbel Building atrium.

During peak hours, the café grill provides made-to-order breakfast burritos or lunch offerings like a grilled chicken breast with seared ham and Swiss cheese sandwich or crispy Buffalo-style chicken wings.

Dale Willis, chef/manager of the café, said that Café Eurest serves many burgers, but marinated chicken and fish dishes are popular also.

Willis, who previously managed Eurest facilities at Lockheed Martin and Aurora Loan Services, said the business school setting means more sales of ready-to-eat meals.

"We see more grab-and-go before and after classes," Willis said. Those meals include a wide range of offerings from lemon-pepper roasted salmon on mixed greens or a blackened chicken mushroom pasta salad to yogurt parfaits and pastries.

Willis said that he also serves a dinner "that's higher end" and includes entrées like
sesame seared tuna and Asian-style crab cakes or breaded chicken breast with apricot and goat cheese. Side dish choices range from portabello mushroom risotto to oven roasted asparagus to spicy yakisoba noodles with cabbage.

Café Eurest also provides catering services, including a recent event sponsored by the Leeds Technology Services department. "One of the main highlights of our client appreciation day was most definitely the food," said Ridawn Cummings, director of Leeds Technology Services. "We had faculty and staff comment on the catering throughout our event."

Willis said he has limited capabilities to transport food across campus, but he happily provides catering in facilities near the Koelbel Building. Under the agreement with Eurest, the Leeds School pays a managing fee but retains all profits from the café, providing Willis and Leeds School staff incentive to keep prices as competitive as possible.