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Summer 2018 Dining Options on Penn’s Campus

Summer 2018 is bringing a lot of changes to campus dining. If you’re looking for a place to grab a bite, here is what you need to know.

Joe’s Café and Joe’s BBQ

Joe’s Café, located in Steinberg-Dietrich, will be closed this summer due to the renovation of the patio area outside the café. Diners will still be able to enjoy the popular Joe’s BBQ which is moving to new locations. From now until June 20, every Wednesday (weather permitting) Joe’s will be serving lunch at the Social Sciences Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting June 25, you can enjoy Joe’s from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m every day (weather permitting) at its new location, Irvine Plaza, 34th and Spruce Streets.

Houston Market Gets a New Look

Penn Dining is planning a major renovation of Houston Market, located in the lower level of Houston Hall. The project will include enhancements to the kitchen, serving and seating areas, and the introduction of new dining concepts. This effort, which is the first major renovation since 1998, is being done jointly by the Division of Business Services and VPUL. It is part of a larger project that includes work on Penn Commons and Houston Hall South patio replacement.

The work will enable Penn Dining to provide broader food options and improve efficiency for diners, especially during peak hours. The design will leverage the history and architecture of the Houston Hall space, the oldest student union building in the country, to create an inviting gathering place. A variety of seating types will be introduced to allow individual and group dining as well as support other activities throughout the day and later into the evening. Seating arrangements have integrated technology allowing diners to plug-in, charge and connect.

The actual market will combine the successful features of modern food halls and will offer eight high-quality options including Mediterranean, sushi, sandwiches, pizza, carvery and a Mongolian grill station, as well as specialty coffees and grab-and-go items. The renovation will also expand the current late-night campus dining options that our students have been requesting and will accommodate the unique scheduling needs of students who often have little time to eat between classes.

Construction is scheduled to be completed August 19. Houston Market and Beefsteak will be closed for the duration of the project.

Other Dining Options

You can also enjoy Tortas Frontera, located in the ARCH, Pret-a-Manger in Huntsman Hall and Mark’s Café in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library.

For a complete list of dining locations and hours visit: www.upenn.edu/dining where there is also a link to the University Club at Penn.

Business Services

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