The RAD Center offers a variety of food options as well as a new market. It is located in the old satellite building next to Science & Research Building 2. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
The Retail, secondary and catering centre has now officially open just in time for the fall semester of 2024, and offers students a new center to study, hang out or eat.
The RAD Centre offers a variety of dining options as well as a new market. It is located in the old satellite building next to the Science and Research Building 2.
“We really like the learning areas and the food looks and smells good,” says Amber Morris, a second-year teacher training student.
The building is 3,700 square feet and offers indoor and outdoor seating for up to 400 people, including a second-floor terrace that offers clear views of the campus, the website.
This renovation creates an open space where students and staff can eat and relax with friends during the semester.
“The RAD building is really nice. It has a good atmosphere and I think it’s a great place for students to enjoy learning and having fun,” says Brittnay Scanlon, a second-year marketing student.
The new facility offers a variety of lunch options including Burger Joint, Absurd Chicken, Paper Lanter, The Taco Stand, a new Nook Café and a market.
“The food is really good,” Scanlon said. “I feel like students have more choices now.”
“It’s a good atmosphere and I think it’s a great place for students to enjoy learning and have a good time,” says Brittnay Scanlon, a sophomore in marketing. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Additionally, the Taco Stand, RAD Market, and Nook Café are also open for breakfast during the fall and spring semesters, with the Market and Nook opening at 7:00 a.m. and the Taco Stand opening at 7:30 a.m.
The new variety of food on offer has been met with a positive response from students and employees. According to students like Scanlon and Morris, it also represents UH’s openness to other cultures.
“There are a lot more open areas and different types of food stalls,” said an electrical engineering employee Crystal Gonzalez: “So they made some changes that were good to see.”
The construction of the RAD building in phase two caused no inconvenience to students and provided assurance that the final phase of construction would be the same.
“It wasn’t that bad. I had to walk through here almost every day, but the construction didn’t really bother me,” said Kai Brazil, a third-year psychology major. “They got it done really quickly and it really didn’t happen until the end of the year, so it wasn’t that bad.”
Although the construction work did not affect Brazil’s schedule, she pointed out that food supplies could be more cost-effective. The students are still in college and many of them are out of work, making these food options a little less affordable, Brazil said.
With phase two construction now complete, UH is preparing for the final phase of the RAD Center. Construction will begin in summer 2025 and is expected to be completed by the opening of the fall 2025 semester.
The third and final phase of the RAD Center includes moving the Cougar Card office from the Student Welcome Center to the RAD Center.
The emergency services administration office will also be relocated and expanded to include a reflection room, an office for satellite delivery services and a multi-purpose room with up to 60 seats that could be rented out.
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