Neuroscience building to host Cafe Synapse

Wednesday, February 3, 1999

Neuroscience building to host Cafe Synapse

ASUCLA: Upscale image of union’s new restaurant targets
scientific clientele

By Karen Thompson

Daily Bruin Contributor

Following several delays, Cafe Synapse, a new Associated
Students of UCLA (ASUCLA) restaurant, is scheduled to open Monday
on the second floor of the Gonda (Goldschmeid) Neuroscience and
Genetics Research Center.

The cafe was originally scheduled to open at the beginning of
fall quarter, but was set back due to construction problems with
the building itself and delays with the university’s final approval
of architectural plans, ASUCLA officials said.

"On any of the projects that you do, you have to get the plans
approved by the campus itself," said Florence Simpson, ASUCLA’s
south-campus food-service manager.

Before it opens, the cafe must still pass health and fire
inspections this week.

According to ASUCLA’s executive director Patricia Eastman, the
cafe is designed to serve the researchers and physicians who work
in both the Gonda building and the neighboring MacDonald Medical
Research Laboratories. Both buildings house neuroscience and
genetics research labs and offices.

"I think we’re going to provide an upscale restaurant for south
campus," Eastman said. "It’s a different image for us. I hope we’ll
capture a new market."

The delayed opening of the cafe is one of several ASUCLA-related
projects that have recently suffered set-backs, including the
opening of La Cucina (the Italian restaurant the association
contracted to open in Ackerman Union), the renovation of Kerckhoff
Hall and the opening of the UCLA Spirit Store on Third Street
Promenade in Santa Monica.

The cafe’s menu will consist of gourmet sandwiches and salads,
as well as some Asian selections, such as Bento Boxes. Gourmet
pizzas will also be served. The menu will vary from day to day, as
well as from week to week. The cafe will also have a full coffee
bar.

Average prices at the cafe will be higher than at other ASUCLA
restaurants. Sandwiches and salads will range in price from $4.75
to $5.50.

"It’s for a different clientele," said Jim Friedman, a graduate
representative on ASUCLA’s board of directors. "I think it will be
a great place for a nicer lunch instead of walking into
Westwood."

The cafe’s granite floors and counters, and dark wood tables and
chairs were chosen to achieve an upscale atmosphere, as well as to
fit the decor of the rest of the Gonda Building. The managers of
the building requested that the cafe maintain the building’s
design.

"We worked very closely with the building engineers to make it
fit the architecture of the building," cafe manager Simpson
said.

ASUCLA hired a designer to develop the Synapse theme, which was
chosen because of the type of research done in the building. The
cafe’s overhead lights and lamps were designed to resemble synapses
in the brain.

"I get the sense that they’ve worked very hard to develop an
interesting and consistent identity for the restaurant," said
Douglas Drew, an alumni representative on ASUCLA’s board of
directors.

The cafe is part of an attempt by ASUCLA to depart from the
purely cafeteria style of food service.

"It’s a different look. I think they’re going for a sort of
subdued, modern look," said Lance Menthe, a graduate representative
on the board.

The cafe’s profits are expected to pay for the restaurant and
generate a small amount of revenue for the association as well.

According to Simpson, the cafe will employ about 15 students and
four other workers, most of whom have already been hired.

ASUCLA competed with outside chain restaurants in open bidding
to win the contract for the restaurant. This was markedly different
from other ASUCLA ventures, because ASUCLA usually has the freedom
to decide which restaurants go in its own on-campus sites.

"I think this is a really nice picture of who we want to be and
where we want to go in terms of ASUCLA’s identity, because it’s not
a big financial risk," Friedman said.

According to Friedman, the board was originally split on the
idea of the cafe because of ASUCLA’s financial trouble, but decided
it would expand the association’s services.

"I think it says something really good about ASUCLA that we
don’t have a cookie cutter that says: ‘This is what UCLA eats,’"
Friedman said. "In each instance, we’ve tried to serve each
clientele."

With reports from Michael Weiner, Daily Bruin Senior
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