Green Olive, Starbucks drinks in, Everytable Coming; Taco Bell Out

By Matthew Alford
Staff Reporter

Fans of Taco Bell might be bummed as the fall semester begins, but those who enjoy The Green Olive and Starbucks products have reason to celebrate. The latter two are new additions to the campus while the former has left the Loker Student Union after 10 years.

The Green Olive began service in southern California in 2004 with one food truck and now has seven locations in Los Angeles County. The Mediterranean restaurant had a soft opening Aug.20 and opened officially Aug. 26. It is located in the northwest corner of the Loker Student
Union food court.

Starbucks products, sold by the ubiquitous chain that began in Seattle in 1971, can be found on the second floor of the library at Booked and Brewed, formerly Green Mountain Coffee.

It sells Starbucks coffee products, but not food items because “they are not licensed with [the] national brand of Starbucks,” Sandra Lopes, one of Booked and Brewed workers, said.

“Booked and Brewed…contracts to serve Starbucks coffee and drinks but are not authorized to use the Starbucks name,” Richard Chester, the associate executive director of the CSUDH Foundation, said.

“They are priced under the actual Starbucks brand and students on campus receive the same drinks,” Eric Oum, the Foundation’s marketing and innovation coordinator, said.

That means students will be drinking—and paying the same price for—the same Frappuccino’s and espressos as a “real” Starbucks.

Another new addition will be joining the LSU soon: Everytable. Formed in 2013 as a nonprofit seeking to provide healthy food options to underserved communities, the company’s novel business model allows it to make fresh, environmentally conscious food at far less expensiveprices than competing to-got eateries. It will be located where Jamba Juice previously was and
is expected to open by early October.

There’s no word yet what the spot occupied by Taco Bell/A&W will be. The news that the leaseholder was pulling up stakes wasn’t known, or at least announced, last semester.
 

“It has remained at that space for about 10 years before this summer and the owner elected not to renew their lease with the campus,” Chester said.
The unexpected timing means the LSU did not have a tenant ready to go.
 Along with the library and the LSU, the walkway between the gymnasium and the new classroom village is now home to food trucks. Currently, they are Favorite Bagel and GroundWorks Coffee, and they are open from 8 .m. to 6 pm. Monday through Thursday.

“I really enjoyed the new arrivals of food restaurants on campus. It gives a great variety of food choices on campus.,” Alumni Daraus Butler said.

“The Green Olive and food trucks are outstanding.” student Justin Sadler said. 

“My change of lifestyle can actually become proactive here at Cal State Dominguez Hills,” senior Rebecca Hall said.
 

The Green Olive hours: Mon.-Thurs., 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Booked and Brewed hours: Mon-Thurs., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.