As students wandered out of their dorms bleary-eyed Monday, they were met not just with the new quarter but also new breakfast options at Bruin Café and Epicuria at Ackerman.

Starting spring quarter, Bruin Café is serving breakfast options – including breakfast bowls, pastries and coffee – from 7 to 9 a.m., and Epicuria at Ackerman is now offering calzones and croissant sandwiches from 10 to 11 a.m. UCLA Dining had previously told the Daily Bruin the changes were made to better serve students now that staffing shortages have decreased.

[Related: UCLA Dining to introduce breakfast, late-night options in spring 2024]

Aarushi Gupta, a first-year psychology student who ordered breakfast from Bruin Café, said she appreciated the takeout options, as she finds them more convenient than sit-down dining halls.

“One of the things that deterred me from getting breakfast sometimes in previous quarters was the fact that I have to go and sit down and eat,” she said. “I could just go to class right now with this in my hand, which is really helpful.”

The build-your-own breakfast bowls at Bruin Café allow students to choose up to two bases – including scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, sticky rice and egg alternative JUST Egg – combined with a variety of proteins, vegetables, cheeses and other toppings.

First-year biology student Nolan Johnson said he tried a breakfast bowl with eggs, potatoes and mushrooms.

Though he enjoyed the bowl, he said he thought its portion size was too small.

Irene Zhang, a third-year statistics and data science student, said her spinach, egg, sausage and cheese calzone from Epicuria at Ackerman was a nice change from her normal breakfast. She added that she was able to order her breakfast before the restaurant opened, allowing her to pick it up just 10 minutes after opening time.

However, some students said they wished Epicuria at Ackerman had diversified its menu beyond calzones and croissants.

Lucas Bertolozzi, a second-year physiological science student, said he thought the menu should include more common breakfast foods, such as sandwiches and more croissant options.

Evelyn Kung, a second-year physiological science student, added that as someone who prefers lighter foods in the morning, Epicuria would not be her first choice.

“I do like (eating) on the Hill more (for) breakfast because I feel like it’s a lot healthier and lighter,” she said. “Calzones are a bit heavy to eat first thing in the morning.”

Some students at Bruin Café also reported long wait times for breakfast bowls. By 8:50 a.m. Tuesday, the line for breakfast bowls extended from the door of Bruin Café to Café 1919, with students having to wait 15 to 20 minutes to pick up their food.

Alana Cho, a first-year human biology and society student, said she waited 15 minutes to pick up her breakfast bowl. She added that the experience encouraged her to order earlier, as the café is generally less busy before 8:30 a.m.

In addition to breakfast bowls, Bruin Café now offers pastries, coffees and other caffeinated drinks – which were previously only available during lunch and dinner – during its breakfast hours. Gupta, who ordered a pastry and coffee, said she was able to avoid the long line and go straight to the coffee station, adding that she appreciated the efficiency.

Matthew Mcleod, a first-year statistics and data science student, said he also appreciated Epicuria at Ackerman’s added operating hours, as no spots on the Hill are open for breakfast from 10 to 11 a.m. Gupta added that she wishes Bruin Café or another dining hall could extend its hours to cover that gap.

“When I don’t have class, I’ll wake up at 10, which is too early for lunch but too late for breakfast,” she said. “I understand why they close so early, but for convenience it would be nice if they were open for a little bit longer.”