Hellenic Kitchen, the new Greek kitchen concept inside Sloopy’s Diner at Ohio Union. Credit: Audrey Coleman | Campus Editor
There’s something new cooking inside Sloopy’s Diner — and it’s not just the food.?
In preparation for the new school year, Ohio State Dining Services formed a partnership with two new vendors, Blenz Bowls and Hellenic Greek Kitchen, bringing new concepts into Sloopy’s Diner, according to previous Lantern reporting.?
Blenz offers build your own acai bowls and smoothies, with an emphasis on fresh fruit flavors and a tropical feel. Including flavors like pineapple, coconut and pitaya, Blenz also offers a variety of toppings to add into the order.
Hellenic Greek Kitchen is a similar build your own concept, focusing on Greek flavors and traditional cuisine. On GrubHub, some of the items include gyros, pitas and dips, as well as herb-forward side dishes.?
Outside of the new menu items, the driving force behind the change is the idea of new partnerships and more perspectives integrated into the dining scene, Senior Director of Dining Services Abby Hertzfeld said.
“It’s not something new for dining,” Hertzfeld said. “We have other vendors that operate in some of our facilities, but these are two new, great and exciting partners that we’re bringing to campus, and I want to make sure that our students are aware of the services that they’re bringing and the variety that they’re bringing to them.”
Both Blenz and Hellenic Greek Kitchen have a history of working with college campuses and other partners, making them natural additions to Ohio State, Hertzfeld said.?
“We’ve got 32 stores across the southeast; all of them are 100% student staffed and operated, and so through that you get a lot of really good connections with the student body really quickly,” Brendan McMichael, a regional manager for Blenz, said. “That’s our goal with students: is to give them a really good work opportunity on campus, be able to work around other students and build relationships with each other.”
Ilias Pappas, the owner and chef for Athenian Hospitality, the parent company to Hellenic Greek Kitchen, is also working to bring his business to college campus areas.?
“We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to present our concept to Ohio State; we are exposing in other campuses on multi-concept locations, and the idea here is that we can continue Sloopy’s legacy and execute that while introducing the Hellenic Kitchen concept that brings this healthy, authentic Mediterranean [food],” Pappas said.?
Working together with dining, the two vendors have been treated as partners, not just an entity run by an external service, Hertzfeld said.?
“A partnership has to be a true partnership; it cannot be competitive,” Pappas said. “With this team, this is a great place for us to flourish, and the people are giving us the opportunity to do so. It’s on us to dial in.”
Even with a different type of business model, McMichael said that Blenz operates on a lot of the same principles, especially when working with the student body.?
“Like [Pappas] said, it’s a partnership no matter where you are, and so when both sides are brought into that, it makes it a lot easier to be successful and have the resources you need to do that,” McMichael said.?
Overall, all three groups — Blenz, Hellenic Kitchen and Dining Services — are excited to see where the connection goes and what the reception will be with the student body.?
“That’s the most important thing when we bring somebody on campus… they’re joining our family,” Herzfeld said. “They may not be employed by us, but they’re joining our dining family.”
