The Dining, Learning and Well-being Center, one of the University of Georgia’s newest facilities, opened Thursday, August 6 after almost two years of construction.
Home to the new Hillside Dining Commons, the facility was built to accommodate the heavy seating demand experienced at other dining commons across campus. Hillside Dining Commons is located at East Cloverhurst Avenue and University Court, which is considered a part of West Campus. This area of campus is known to be an area of high activity, with several residence halls and other dining halls in convenient proximity to Hillside.
“Hillside gives students another campus dining option with an emphasis on fresh, varied menu choices and wellness,” UGA said in a statement to The Red & Black. “The facility also allows Dining Services to introduce new menu concepts and offerings developed specifically for Hillside while adding another distinct dining experience to the university’s existing dining commons.”
The dining hall menu features 250 new menu items designed by Dining Services chefs, as well as a dedicated Mediterranean station, reflecting a popular dining concept among students.
UGA expressed excitement about Hillside’s new dining options for students and the facility’s multifaceted design, which features classrooms and study spaces for students.
“Students can move between dining, classes and study and collaborative spaces within the same facility,” UGA said in the statement. “For Dining Services, the new space and equipment also create opportunities to offer a wider variety of menu concepts and dining experiences.”
The facility’s new meeting and activity spaces are part of a broader university effort to expand spaces for student organizations and gatherings across campus, with plans for the construction of the Dining, Learning and Well-being Center dating back to 2023. UGA stated in 2023 that they planned to add these spaces incrementally due to the lack of a defined funding source.
“All of these new areas are being introduced without increases in mandatory student fees to support the spaces,” UGA said in a 2023 press release.
Dining and Cooking