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National restaurant franchises to transform SUB into Panther Food Court

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Arianna Schuck | Staff Writer

“We’ve waited a long time to put a national franchise on campus,” Tom Stewart, director of campus dining at Florida Tech, said. 

According to Stewart, the SUB cafe was overdue for updates and renovations. With national chains a popular request by students, Florida Tech is converting the former SUB cafe into the Panther Food Court. 

“The university contacted every major franchise in the area,” Stewart said, “[Firehouse Subs, Cosmic Creamery and Einstein Bros] offered excellent reputations, and a good menu variety.”

Firehouse Subs and Cosmic Creamery are set to open in the Panther Food Court near the end of March. Einstein Bros. Bagels will open in the first or second week of April. 

“I’m extremely excited for these corporations to come to campus,” Justin D’Amato, a sophomore majoring in Aviation Management, said. “It’ll be nice to have real subs, real egg sandwiches and bagels and a variety of ice cream, which is long overdue being in Florida.”

A plan for the Panther Food Court. The first restaurants are set to open in late March. Photo: Florida Tech

Bella Worrell, a junior majoring in marine biology, is looking to the Food Court to provide more vegetarian choices. 

“Being a vegetarian makes it harder to find options, however with these new additions to campus, it will add more diversity and more tasty food options for on-campus eating,” Worrell said.

Worrell said that she will miss the old SUB, but with these franchises coming, the excitement of new options and variety will fill that void.   

Students will be able to use both FlexCredit and Panther Cash in the Panther Food Court. 

The Food Court is to be open seven days per week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. while classes are in session. The operating hours of each eatery will vary.

Brevard Restaurants Navigate Reopening

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Ethan Qualle | Staff Writer

“Business has been good,” Jean Phillipe Reis, the owner of the downtown Melbourne restaurant The Burger Place, said.

Reis is one of many Florida restaurant owners who have navigated through phases of reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With restaurants and other businesses currently in phase three, establishments like The Burger Place are permitted to operate at full capacity. Face covering mandates appear in many business entrances.

Reis added that he only requires his employees to wear masks while delivering food, not in the kitchen. He said that masks in the kitchen are not necessary when his employees are in close contact with one another on a regular basis. 

Reis is originally from France and provided some insight on the situation there. As of Oct. 30, the government of France has implemented its second lockdown, only allowing for nonessential travel within metropolitan France and Martinique. 

“Places such as bars, restaurants, and metros are places where the spread of COVID-19 is prevalent,” he stated. 

Reis said he also worries that the proximity of The Burger Place to crowded bars in downtown Melbourne is putting him and his employees at risk. 

“Students and young people do not always wear masks at bars,” Reis said.

Main Street Pub in downtown Melbourne has taken significant precautionary measures regarding COVID-19. Lena McAneney, the owner of Main Street Pub, explained several steps she has taken to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in her establishment.

“We have to close the door on Fridays and Saturdays to limit capacity.” McAneney said.

She also stated that they hired a professional cleaning service, Servpro, which continually sanitizes the establishment as needed. On top of that, customers and employees must wear face coverings at all times, except while actively eating or drinking while stationary. 

Main Street Pub has also expanded its outdoor seating, giving patrons additional space to allow for social distancing in an more open environment. McAneney then mentioned that she is at a high risk of more serious COVID-19 symptoms herself, so implementing these protocols were imperative to her own health.

Senior and psychology major Delainee Rust, who works part time at Bruno’s Pizzeria in Cocoa Beach, suggested that the pandemic has affected business flow.

According to Rust, Bruno’s Pizzeria has experienced more demand for carry-out and delivery orders, though the dining room is open.

“Sometimes [customers] have to wait up to 90 minutes for their pizzas due to the influx of orders,” Rust said.