The University of Connecticut Student Union announced the closing of One Plate, Two Plates last December with plans to open a Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue in its place, according to Isaac Barber, who serves as the director of the Student Union and event services.
One Plate, Two Plates, one of the three eateries in the Student Union, officially closed toward the end of the Fall 2024 semester. The location is now under construction with hopes of opening Bear’s by Feb. 1. If not finished by then, the Union is aiming to open the location in early spring.
Bear’s serves many types of foods, according to its website, including sandwiches, salads, soups, ribs and various types of barbecued meat. Though it is unknown which menu items will be served at the Union location, Barber stated they are planning to provide a variety of high-quality foods.
The Union location will also have a vegan option, and they hope to offer a “diversity of food[s],” according to Barber.
Barber stressed that one of the improvements Bear’s hopes to bring to Union food service is efficiency.
“They’re going to be moving pretty quickly. One Plate, definitely, at times during the day, had long lines. Part of the long lines, even though they were popular, was because a ticket took a while to assemble the food and to cook the food. I think Bear’s is going to move a bit faster and have definitely high quality, wonderful food,” Barber said.
For those wondering about the gluten-free chicken tenders originally served at One Plate, Two Plates, they will still be sold at the Union Street Market, according to a post by the UConn Dining Instagram. In response to a student question, the Instagram also stated that the gluten free tenders will continue to have their own fryer to protect cross-contamination.
As for how students can pay for food, Bear’s will be independent of Dining Services and, therefore, students will not be able use their meal plan, points or flex passes. Their payment system will be the same as the other quick service restaurants such as Dunkin, Subway and Starbucks, according to the UConn Dining Instagram.
However, students will be able to use Husky Bucks at the new Bear’s location, according to Barber.
Plans to replace One Plate, Two Plates have been in talks for a while. Barber stated that the original purpose of the retail spaces in the Union was to be used for external vendors, such as places like Dunkin, Subway and other restaurants not under Dining Services.
Originally external vendors did reside in these locations, but when these places closed, they were taken over by Dining Services, Barber said. In 2014, the Wendy’s that was located in the Union closed and was taken over by Dining Services and turned into One Plate, Two Plates.
Barber said he took charge of bringing external vendors back to the Union.
“Since I got here or got into this role, I’ve been looking at those spaces and thinking about, what do we need to do to try to get them back to what the purpose of those spaces were supposed to be, which is having these retailers there,” Barber stated.
A lot of factors went into choosing the right retail place to go into the Union, such as if the business would be able to sustain themselves throughout the summer, rent and percentages of sales, according to Barber.
The University has worked with Bear’s in the past, as it has satellite locations at UConn sports facilities such as Pratt and Whitney Stadium, Gampel Pavilion and the Toscano Family Ice Forum, according to UConn Today. Barber stated that the University has a good relationship with the restaurant, and, over the years, they have been in talks to open a location around campus. It wasn’t until now that these talks came to fruition.
The closing of One Plate, Two Plates has not resulted in anyone losing their job according to Barber. Everyone that previously worked at One Plate has been relocated. Barber stressed that this was one of the Union’s main concerns when planning this transition.
“We worked very well with the particular unions that were involved to be able to come up with a plan. We could not have moved forward if we didn’t have that resolved in a positive way,” Barber said.
Another change coming to the UConn Student Union is the addition of Acai bowls.
The UConn dining instagram announced in a post Monday that a quick-serve concept will be opening on the lower level of the Student Union near the Market Cafe. The new service will sell SAMBAZON Açaí Bowls and will be opening in early February. Students will be able to use their meal plan and points at this location.
Overall, Barber hopes that these changes will provide students with good food and give them a chance to give feedback on the food they are consuming.
“We just hope that the students enjoy the food. Our commitment to them is that we want to make sure that students have an opportunity to kind of give us the feedback that’s probably more crucial than anything. Bear’s is committed to being able to listen and to adjust,” Barber said.
Upcoming announcements about the new openings can be found on the UConn Dining website.