Students can now feast at Rendezvous on weekends, but can no longer rendezvous at Feast.
UCLA residential restaurant Rendezvous, which offers to-go Mexican and Asian entrees, is now open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. UCLA Dining Services officials said Feast dining hall will now only be open weekdays, because the two restaurants are located too close together to justify operating both.
Some Feast employees will now work at Rendezvous on weekends to manage large crowds, said Edward Westbrook, general manager of Rendezvous.
Rendezvous, which is located near Hedrick and Rieber residential halls, expanded its menu fall quarter to include pancakes, french toast, huevos rancheros, a dim sum box and strawberries and cream boba tea.
Anh Nguyen, a first-year economics student, said she is glad Rendezvous is now open on weekends but is disappointed Feast had to close, because the dining hall was one of her favorites.
Westbrook said dining officials implemented the change to appease students, some of whom lobbied last quarter for Rendezvous to be open daily.
“It really came from students,” Westbrook said. “We wanted to dial in to what people want … (and Rendezvous) is one of their favorites.”
Alice Ortiz, a third-year anthropology student, said she thinks the weekend hours were a much needed improvement. She added waiting in longer lines for food at Rendezvous was still faster than eating at dining halls.
Merkes Rehimzada, a third-year gender studies student, said she thinks Rendezvous is the best option for students who want to get food quickly.
“Sometimes … I don’t want to walk all the way to Bruin Café,” Rehimzada said. “And sometimes I just don’t want a sandwich.”
Westbrook said the Rendezvous staff plans to adapt to the new hours and make adjustments to manage the weekend crowds as necessary.