As students return to school and head to their routine destinations on campus, they will find one of the campus’s most beloved locations has undergone some changes.
Memorial Union’s iconic Der Rathskeller reopened this Monday after completing renovations and menu changes over winter break.
A student walking into the restaurant will see a new food pickup area with a new menu posted, a new wall where the old serving wall was and a new main entrance under the central archway, according to a University of Wisconsin statement.
In addition to the physical changes to Der Rathskeller, the menu has undergone a revamping. Wisconsin Union Restaurant Division Director Jim Long said it now includes items that are fresher than before and has incorporated some traditional German cuisine.
Long said the changes generally came after a few years of feedback and surveys from students which indicated a desire for better-quality food and less of a grab-and-go style at the restaurant.
“The old way it worked was kind of a fast food or grab-and-go style, and we decided from surveys and input from students that they were looking for a better quality of food,” Long said.
As an example, Long said whereas the old Der Rathskeller would serve burgers which had been frozen, now it serves fresh and hand-patted burgers to customers. He also said some of the new menu items are the same as before but are different only because of the quality of ingredients.
When ordering food, Der Rathskeller patrons can also expect to see electronic pagers which let them know when their order is ready, the statement said.
In addition, the new menu includes revamped appetizers, sandwiches and salads as well as new breakfast items and traditional German cuisine, the statement said.
Long said the new German-style food items introduced will fit the style of the architecture more than before.
“The German-themed menu helps to expand on the Der Rathskeller motif,” he said.
Long said feedback so far has been generally very positive – especially regarding the food quality – although some negative points have been that the food takes longer to be made and the interior looks somewhat different.
In terms of future renovations, Long said this is just the first step of many at Memorial Union, citing the Memorial Union Reinvestment project, which is currently underway.
“We did this renovation as a prelude to the next two to three years,” he said. “We wanted to make sure students are enjoying the food, and we used this as a testing for the future.”
This semester, Der Rathskeller will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, with breakfast served until 11 a.m. daily.
For its opening, the restaurant is currently putting on promotions, including free samples and specials during specified times, which can be found at www.union.wisc.edu/dine-rathskeller.
