Media Advisory: One World Café grand opening to be held March 31

BUFFALO, N.Y. — One World Café is a transformative initiative, creating a dynamic campus hub for gathering, study and collaboration on the University at Buffalo’s North Campus.

It’s also a place where students, faculty, staff and visitors can enjoy a diverse selection of authentic foods from around the world in a welcoming, community space. The opening of One World Café also signifies a return to more normal operations at UB.

UB and FSA senior leadership, students, faculty, staff and project partners will gather on Thursday to celebrate the opening of the new facility.

When: 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 31.

Where: One World Café. Enter at Capen Hall on UB’s North Campus 

UB/FSA leadership are available for in-person, phone or zoom interview opportunities: 

• Laura Hubbard, UB’s vice president for finance and administration, is available to speak about the project as part of UB’s campus master plan and “Heart of the Campus” initiative.
  
  
• Eric Blackledge, executive director for Campus Dining and Shops, can speak about the cuisine and dining operations.
  
  
• Brian Hamluk, UB’s vice president for student life, can speak about how the new facility enhances the student experience.

Background:

• Following the guiding principles of UB's Heart of the Campus initiative, the facility is designed to meet the demand for expanded gathering, dining and studying spaces among UB's campus population.
  
  
• The facility will boast a global array of authentic, internationally-themed meals, snacks and drinks featuring five international food platforms. The café will open with two stations: “Kali Orexi,” which will serve foods from Far Eastern countries, Turkey and Greece, and “Tikka Table,” which will offer fare from the different regions of India. The three other food stations — “The 1846 Grill,” “Pan Asian” and “The Noodle Pavilion” — would be phased in, most likely by the fall, as Campus Dining & Shops fills those positions.
  
  
• Through a series of focus groups, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to provide input into One World Café’s design and food selection. UB launched a naming contest in 2018 and the winning entry – One World Café – was submitted by Sayre Stowell, an aerospace engineering major, who graduated from UB in 2019.
  
  
• One World Café features tiered seating on the second-floor balcony, a large fireplace, and bright, open study spaces, with abundant charging outlets throughout.
  
  
• As part of UB’s commitment to operating an eco-friendly campus, the majority of items available at One World Café will be either in compostable or recyclable packaging, bringing the facility as close to zero-waste as possible. Items placed in “organics” bins throughout the facility will be processed into a renewable resource through anaerobic digestion.
  
  
• One World Café is a $37.8 million investment.
  
  
• The facility will seat 560.
  
  
• 100 new positions will be created to support One World Café operations.

Architect: Cannon Design. Many members of the Cannon Design project team are UB graduates and brought a unique understanding and appreciation for the university to the project.

Construction Manager – Turner Construction Co.

General Contractor – Manning Squires Hennig