| Date:
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January 22, 2016
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| Contact :
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David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Heritage University Café Seeing Success a Year After Revamp
Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University’s cafeteria has become a serious contender for health-conscious and affordable dining in the Yakima Valley, one year after moving into its brand-new location on the Toppenish campus. “Eagle’s Café” opened in September 2014 with the completion of the Gaye and Jim Pigott Commons, one of three new buildings constructed after the destruction of its former home, Petrie Hall.
With the new café, Heritage University administrators brought in Tim Newbury, as food service director to bring a sophisticated, gourmet-like menu worthy of the café’s sleek, modern new home. Newbury, who most recently worked as GM of Birchfield Manor in Yakima, Wash., has 30 years experience in the restaurant industry and is skilled in all of its aspects. Newbury jumped at the chance to provide a cuisine previously not offered at Heritage. “I get to deliver a menu that incorporates my skills for preparing fresh, homemade food combined with five-star service, in a cafeteria-style setting.”
When developing a menu, Newbury incorporates exotic and exciting items with the tried-and-true. Items like black bean and steak soup, quinoa salad and walnut chicken salad pita sandwiches are offered the same day biscuits and gravy with eggs and spaghetti with meat sauce and green beans are served.
While the offerings may sound rich, the prices are not. Breakfast items can run from $1-3, and lunch from $4-6. That’s certainly appealing to students and faculty, who now consider the Eagle’s Café a viable option to dining, instead of having to drive away from campus to find something good to eat. “I stay on campus more often for lunch because it seems like there’s always something new to try,” says Heritage student Alex Diaz.
“Even going off campus can be boring, so it’s nice to have the variety of food offered at Eagle’s Café,” says Heritage student Stephanie Gonzales.
The Eagle’s Café is also making a name for itself with visitors attending various events at Heritage. Event organizers reach out to the café to provide food and drink for their functions, and the feedback so far is very promising. “We simply want to create a memorable experience for our visitors to enjoy,” says Newbury.
In the year the Eagle’s Café has been open, food sales at Heritage University have doubled when compared to the year before. Catering sales by the Café have quadrupled as well. “We are quickly becoming the go-to food provider for many groups holding on-campus events, who no longer have to reach out to outside vendors for their food needs,” says Newbury.
Newbury draws upon the experience of his kitchen assistant Laura Greedy, part-time staff and student workers to add variety to the Eagle’s Café menu. “Laura’s love for Mexican food shines through in the dishes she creates for the Café, and the others bring many ideas and input on the latest trends and tastes to the table,” says Newbury.
The Eagle’s Café is on a roll, and Newbury intends to keep trying new things to maintain its growth. When asked how far he hopes to take the facility in terms of success, Newbury says, “The wings of the Eagle’s Café have only started to lift off.”
For more information, contact Tim Newbury, (509) 865-8616 or newbury_t@heritage.edu.