The Crimson View Café, housed on the fourth floor of the Union, will reopen Oct. 19 after construction delays prevented it from opening in time for the school year.
The restaurant was initially scheduled to open the first day of Fall Semester, but safety upgrades taking place in the Saltair room, the event space directly below the Crimson View, delayed the debut of the full-service restaurant. “We had to close the Crimson View Café to accommodate University events that were scheduled for the Saltair,” said Whit Hollis, director of the Union building.
The space that houses the Crimson View Café was the only available space for large-group events other than the Saltair room, forcing Union officials to close the café in favor of the events.
The three-year project to install a new fire alarm and sprinkler system in the Saltair was supposed to be completed this summer, but as one segment of a building was taken apart to be upgraded, more surprises arose, stemming from the fact that the Union was constructed in 1956, Hollis said.
“It would have opened the first of October, but then it would have been Fall Break, so it wouldn’t have made sense to open it for four days just to close it again,” Hollis said.
The café will instead open the Monday following Fall Break.
The Crimson View Café has offered students an alternative to the food court located in the basement for the past 10 years, plus a view of the Salt Lake Valley and the east bench, including the block U on the mountain.
“We change the menu every semester to offer items that are fresh and in season,” said Reggie Conerly, residential district manager of Chartwells.
The Crimson View will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. except during holidays.