Lunch vendors returning to campus starting next week

The Sorrell Center is one of two buildings where food vendors will set up on a weekly basis.

Food vendors are returning to the UNMC Omaha campus starting next week, and plans are in the works for the new lunch options to grow.

The occasion will mark a return to what UNMC offered on campus before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout much of the pandemic, indoor dining was restricted within UNMC buildings. During warm weather months, the campus turned to outdoor food trucks to give students and staff a convenient lunch choice.

Now, food trucks will be brought to campus only for special events.

Rick Boldt, senior manager in the UNMC Office of Business and Finance, has formalized UNMC’s arrangement with its food vendors and set an initial schedule with three: Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs, Zemog’s Cocina Mexicana and Bob’s Street Eats.

Boldt said he continues to work with other potential vendors and hopes to add to the schedule soon.

Two locations will host the vendors on campus: the Sorrell Center (Alumni Commons area) and Durham Research Center (Maurer Commons area).

To start, the Sorrell Center will have lunch available Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Durham Research Center on Mondays and Thursdays, all from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (See the schedule to the right.)

Ken Bayles, PhD, UNMC’s vice chancellor for research, said he and many UNMC faculty and staff are excited for vendors to return.

“The pandemic clearly has taken a toll on our physical and mental health,” Dr. Bayles said, “My hope is that the return of food vendors will catalyze the lunchtime socialization we had in Sorrell and the Durham Research Center commons area prior to 2020.”

The Sorrell Center and Durham Research Center locations are familiar lunch spots for many around UNMC.

But Nicole Kent, student senate president and UNMC student regent, said many students don’t remember a day when UNMC offered outside food vendors on campus.

“As an almost fourth-year medical student, I haven’t experienced food service in Sorrell or Durham Research Center since I’ve been a student,” Kent said.

Kent said she’s excited for students to have the flexibility and convenience of having quality lunch options available close to their classrooms.

“Professional students have a lot of responsibilities that take up a lot of their time,” she said, “so having food service vendors in Sorrell and the Durham Research Center will give us more flexibility in our lives.” 

Said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, “We know our students, faculty and staff have been looking forward to food vendors returning to campus. I hope everyone enjoys the lunch offerings we have planned, whether that means grabbing a quick bite to eat or sitting down again to share a meal with your colleagues.”

8 comments

  1. Robin Jaeckel says:

    That is unfortunate food trucks will only be back on campus for special events. Food trucks encouraged people to go outside and congregate more. This is better than staying in a building and then going back to your desk or sitting at an indoor table. We are encouraged to enjoy the fresh air and get sunlight. With so many of us on campus, why not have an option for both? Or Food Truck Fridays? For those of us who remember what it was like to have them on campus, we enjoyed the options. This could have been a simple poll in the UNMC Today or discussed at a Chancellor’s Forum.

    1. Lisa Sund says:

      I agree! Fresh air and sunlight are a good break from work. I’d love to have food trucks back – no matter the reason! Isn’t that easier on the vendor anyway??

  2. Jennifer says:

    There is a schedule listed of venders and locations but not a single time listed. What times will they be on campus?

    1. Jeffrey Robb says:

      They will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

  3. Harlan Sayles says:

    Where can I find a current list of vendors?

    1. Jeffrey Robb says:

      The schedule is going to take a little more time to fill up. But you can look on the campus news site on the intranet and search for “lunch”

      https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/department/unmc-today-todays-headlines/

  4. Tina Hovorka says:

    Where can I find a current schedule of food vendors on UNMC campus, such as Sorrell Center or DRC?

    1. Jeffrey Robb says:

      Hi, Tina. This is the current schedule. Just note that it can change day-by-day depending on the vendors’ demands.

      Lunch vendors on campus
      Lunch vendors have been set for the Omaha campus for June. Faculty, staff and students should note the schedule is subject to change, and more vendors are expected to be added over time.

      Food will be sold from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. these days:

      Sorrell Center (Alumni Commons area)

      Mondays – Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs
      Tuesdays – Zemog’s Cocina Mexicana
      Durham Research Center (Maurer Commons area)

      Mondays – Zemog’s Cocina Mexicana

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