UMass Amherst serving up renovated cafe soon

Whitmore Café to open with more convenience, food offerings.
Whitmore Café to open with more convenience, food offerings. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
The wait for a table at the renovated Whitemore Cafe has been whittled to only a few more weeks for students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The cafe, in the main administration building, is expected to reopen on Jan. 23 with more versatile menu options and more convenience for patrons.

Van Sullivan, director of retail dining at the university, said the addition of new hot sandwiches will be noticeable, but improvements will also include upgraded kitchen equipment, and new floor and wall coverings. The single line for serving will be replaced with three areas to make the cafe more efficient.

The cafe closed just before Christmas, but the Baby Berk food truck remained parked just outside every day. The school also offered free coffee and other goodies in the nearby hallway.


Other new cafe offerings will include made-to-order salads and wraps with grilled chicken toppings and tenders from Greenfields. The current salad bar will be upgraded with a hot bar offering daily specials, Grab&Go salads and sandwiches, as well as Better for You snacks and an express lane for checking out.

Finally, Illy Café will serve specialty espresso drinks as well as hot coffee, iced teas, hot sandwiches, paninis, breakfast sandwiches and pastries.