Sodexo services will host its first night of “prime perfection” with premium steaks hot off the grill in Towers Cafeteria Oct. 30 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Sodexo is trying to experiment with different options to give students variety, said General Manager for Sodexo Campus Services Alan Kinkead.

“This program has been very successful at other schools in the nation, and we want it to be at UNA as well,” Kinkead said.

The night will feature an upscale menu consisting of a four-course spread prepared by the staff of Towers Cafeteria. The meal will be comprised of an appetizer, soup and salad, a 12 oz. cooked-to-order ribeye, a choice of onion rings, baked potato, corn on the cob and garlic bread and a chocolate molten lava cake dessert. 

Students who have purchased a meal plan can swipe his or her mane card and pay $10 to attend steak night while non-meal plan holders can pay $15, Kinkead said. Students can pay using dining dollars, cash or credit card.

Jacob Hale, a senior, thinks the event sounds like a terrible idea, he said. 

“If I want to spend $15 on a steak, I can go almost anywhere else and have a lot more faith that the quality of the steak will be good,” he said.

The hand-cut ribeyes are coming fresh, not frozen, straight from their meat supply to the grill, said Chef Manager Paul Teran.

“We are simulating this to feel more like a restaurant-type setting,” he said. “We hope to start off small, with 45-50 ribeyes, and see how the program works.”

Though Stone Steakhouse will be in full swing, Towers Cafeteria will still be offering each of its popular food items such as the salad bar, vegan bar, sandwich bar and hot bar with pizza, fries and burgers.  

Lily Mitchell, a freshman, is excited Sodexo is offering some variety to students but has her doubts about the cost, she said. 

“While I’m glad the variety is expanding, I do not agree with us having to swipe our meal plan, which we already had to pay for, than having to pay an additional $10 for it. For people off campus, I understand a fee, but not as high as $15,” Mitchell said. “However, since it’s a onetime thing maybe it could slide, but if we want to bring in a “Steak Night” or anything else it needs to be where we all can enjoy and participate in it without having to jump through hoops.”

If the night is a success, they will look at having other events such as a seafood night, Kinkead said. It is a shame to see perfectly good items wasted when he and the staff included worked so hard to prepare it.

“We want students to realize you can have all you care to eat, but it’s okay to get a small portion, eat it, and if you’re still hungry go get something else to eat,” Kinkead said. “Many students end up piling plates high and letting their eyes be bigger than stomachs.” 

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