Dining Commons Gets a Remodel

Crews have begun a $2 million renovation project to Westmont’s Dining Commons with the majority of the work being funded by Bon Appetit, the college’s food service provider since August 2022. 

While there is no additional interior square footage, workers are enlarging the outdoor dining patio by incorporating a small section of unused concrete between the patio and the southeast corner of the Dining Commons known as El Tejado. The patio will have new furniture, a trellis, heat and lights, making it more usable throughout the day and year. 

The kitchen infrastructure, much of which is original, needs repair and improvement. Crews will replace plumbing lines, some electrical and other kitchen infrastructure to make it safer, more appealing, and more efficient for kitchen staff to work.

The main dining area will get new flooring, paint and perhaps other improvements such as lighting if funds allow.

“The project is important for a variety of reasons, including that it will enhance the dining experience of the students and others who use the space,” says Doug Jones, vice president for finance. “It will allow us to modernize the kitchen, so we don’t run the risk of something failing at an inopportune time. The work in El Tejado will allow more flexibility in what is prepared and served there, including expanding the options for the late-night retail dining service.”

El Tejado, the name of the original Dwight Murphy estate that Westmont purchased in 1945, was last renovated in 2011 to exclusively serve Mexican food during regular dining hours.