The ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new Taco Bell and Pizza Hut Express restaurants at West Liberty University were celebrated in the College Union on Monday, Aug. 22. University officials and representatives of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce took part in the festivities.

The new eateries occupy the space formerly used by Pandini’s Pizza and will be managed by Sodexo, which runs food service operations on the hilltop campus.  Offering students, employees and campus visitors an even wider range of food options than before, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are located on the first floor food court of the College Union building next to Sky Ranch Grill and Jazzman’s Café and Bakery.

Other dining facilities on campus include the Marketplace, a cafeteria in Rogers Hall, and Subway Restaurant on the ground level of the student union.

WLU President Robin C. Capehart, noting that West Liberty hosts the only Taco Bell in Ohio County, invited members of the community to enjoy the dining experience.  “We’re excited to have these new restaurants at West Liberty University, and we hope students as well as visitors to our campus will take advantage of what they have to offer.”

The Taco Bell menu includes a variety of Mexican specialties, including tacos, burritos and nachos, while Pizza Hut Express offers Tuscan pasta dishes, salads and its famous pizzas.

John McDermitt, general manager for Sodexo at WLU, said he’s pleased with the campus response to the new dining spots. “We’ve had big crowds. A lot of people are eager to try the menu items and I’m pleased with the way our Sodexo staff have kept up with the demand.”

He added, “We are all really excited about Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.  They are great additions to the food court in the College Union. Everyone on campus is buzzing about the new concepts and we’ve already had customers from off-campus visiting the new restaurants.”