Shortly after the spring semester got underway, Einstein Bros^® Bagels opened for business in the Hobson Memorial Union. Jan. 16 served as a staff-training day, which gave students and faculty a sneak peek at the coffee, bagels, sandwiches that the venue offers to the campus community, before the shop opened for business on Jan. 17.

Operating as an independent brand under the ownership of the Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Einstein Bros^® Bagels has over 750 locations throughout the United States.

It was the second of two new national-brand food vendors to open in the Union this spring; Papa Johns Pizza is the Union’s new pizza vendor, and its location was open for the first day of spring classes on Jan. 14.

“The decision to bring Einstein Bros Bagels to BSU was made based upon research conducted on campus by ARAMARAK, our dining provider, and was a joint venture by ARAMARK and the university,” said Mary Tosch, director of the Hobson Memorial Union. “It was a three-year process to bring Einstein Bros and Papa John’s to BSU.   Research was conducted, along with student feedback, to determine the needs of the students.  The research and feedback was clear — students wanted national brands on campus.”

“We looked at how different national brands worked on campuses similar to Bemidji State’s size, and we also wanted to complement our existing dining program,” Tosch said. “The national brands are part of the dining program, and are also something new and exciting to show potential students during tours.”

The addition of Einstein Bros Bagels has been well-received by BSU students.

“I absolutely love it,” said Tiffany Lamb, a junior in biology. “I’m so glad we finally have something like it on campus.”