By Claire McCullough
The Boiler House restaurant is now open on campus. The restaurant operates as an extension, but at the same time, an alternative to the campus cafeteria. Both students and local community members can enjoy the restaurant, and students can pay with Bulldog Bucks’. The Boiler House offers students the decision to either eat their food at the restaurant or take it to go. However, according to the McPherson College website, they are looking to expand their ordering possibilities by using Sodexo (the food service contractor company for the college). This would allow students to order online. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 2 pm and then again from 4:30 pm to 9 pm. They may also open on weekends for college events, including home sports games.
The menu has sandwiches, wraps and salads. That students can pair with homemade chips or Caramel Crunch Cookies. Customers get their choice of an apple or an orange with every order. Benny Lopez, the General Manager of Sodexo who is responsible for running the campus cafeteria, concessions, and the Boiler House, designed the menu. “A part of me likes everything on the menu” Lopez said. According to Lopez, their most ordered items; are sandwiches, including the Mac Attack and the Chicken Bacon Ranch. The Mac Attack is described on the menu as “steak, bacon, cheddar cheese, red onion, & chipotle ranch on a hoagie”. While the Chicken Bacon Ranch is described as having “chicken, bacon, romaine lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, & chipotle ranch served on a hoagie”. So far, the Boiler House has been a huge hit in the community! Andrew and Nicole Conrad, McPherson locals, described the food as “Excellent, fresh, and filling”.
The Boiler House also offers a variety of unique drinks. When Lopez first came to the campus in May of 2023, he remembers the students who suggested the idea of the Boiler house wanted the restaurant to have items that could not be found anywhere else on campus. The drinks of the Boiler House reflect the sentiment. The unique drinks include Sprecher Root Beer, Prime (lemonade, strawberry watermelon, and ice pop), Vita Coco Coconut Water, Jarritos (pineapple, mandarin), and Poppi (a probiotic soda with flavors such as lemon lime, raspberry rose, and watermelon). More traditional drinks such as Pepsi (regular and diet), Pure Leaf Iced Tea (sweetened and unsweetened), and Life water are also offered. Alcohol is served at the Boiler House for students twenty-one and older. Lopez says that the decision to serve alcohol was, surprisingly, all on the college.
Students Nathan Van Wck, Lowis Self, and Wictor Zaton all described the atmosphere of the Boiler house as friendly and open. The restaurant provides great natural light, with three of the walls being made from glass. Students are given the option to sit outside and enjoy the lovely weather while they eat their meal. When asked what he would say to convince students to come to the restaurant, Lopez said “The faculty and location speaks for itself, and I do not think I will need to convince anyone to come. It’s on campus, it’s for students”.
