Cafe 1919 to replace Puzzles as UCLA eatery
By Claire Makepeace
Oct. 8, 2009 11:28 p.m.
Puzzles Cafe, once students’ main source of fast food on the residential Hill, is closed for renovation and will be replaced by an Italian themed eatery.
Though an exact date is unknown, administrators hope to reopen the location, which will be renamed Cafe 1919, before Thanksgiving. The new cafe will primarily serve panini, pizza, salads and gelato.
The cafe is being renovated out of a desire to bring students healthier late-night options, said Pete Angelis, the assistant vice chancellor of Housing and Hospitality Services.
Angelis said the new cafe will “take the dining services to the next level.”
“(The cafe) will be rooted in very traditional Italian cuisine with a new, modern twist,” said Daryl Ansel, food and beverage director for Housing and Hospitality.
Ansel said designers of Cafe 1919 consulted students before deciding what food options to introduce to Cafe 1919.
“We will have a custom-made panini grill, individual pizzas with a variety of different toppings, and side and entrée salads,” he said.
The cafe will also serve coffee and pastries in the morning, giving students more options for breakfast to go, Ansel said. He added that the cafe will stay open late into the night.
“Cafe 1919 will have its own line of pastries distinct from Bruin Café, and the coffee will be bolder with a more Italian style,” he said. “There will also be 12 different styles of gelato and different flavors of yogurt plus a choice of toppings.”
The entire dining space will be renovated, and new machinery will be purchased, he said.
The total cost of renovation is estimated at $697,000.
Some students expressed concerns over the cost of the project.
“It had to have been possible to change Puzzles to Cafe 1919 without such high expense to remodel the entire place,” said Justin Maynard, a second-year computer science student.
Others said they support measures to improve the dining quality on the Hill.
“I would love healthier options. While this may not be the best time budget-wise, I think that overall student health is more important than the cost ““ as replacing the greasy food of Puzzles will be beneficial to student health in the long run,” said Cynthia Judson, a second-year undeclared student.
