In three years, the University will be one of the few colleges to have its own kitchen for its Food Science Department complete with brand new equipment at Bevier Cafe, which is known for providing delicious and nutritious food to its customers.

Jill North, manager of operations for the Spice Box, an eatery that shares Bevier Cafe's kitchen, said the update has been needed for a long time.

"The facility hasn't had any updates since the 1950s when it was built," North said of the cafe, which is located on the second floor of Bevier Hall.

The renovation will cost about a million dollars, said Beth Reutter, manager of Bevier Cafe. She said Hospitality Management and Dietetic alumni and corporate sponsors, like Sara Lee, will find the renovation. No funds will come from the University, Reutter said.

The two eateries are used for students majoring in hospitality management in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in the College of ACES. The Spice Box is run by North's fine dining management class, which is a mandatory class for students majoring in hospitality management, the largest major in the department.

"Our goal is to prepare students to go out into the industry, and we can't do that to the best of our ability when our equipment is outdated," she said.

Bevier Cafe is also the lab section for the management of quantity food production and services class that Reutter teaches.

"The students are expected to at least break even with the amount of money spent and the money made in the semester because we cover our own expenses," Reutter said. "It's hard to do that when things keep breaking down and needing repairs."

So why are the renovations taking place now?

"It has a lot to do with having a department chair who believes in the program," Reutter said.

The efforts of Faye Dong, who just became professor and department head in 2002, are one of the main reasons for the renovations, she said.

The ACES development office is targeting alumni for fundraising and help with the project. The renovations will also be incorporated into the classrooms, Reutter said.

"The students will have hands-on participation in this," Reutter said. "This is not just about us sitting back and making all the decisions. The class will be involved in making them, too."

The purchasing for the hospitality industry class will have a say in what equipment is bought for this million-dollar renovation, Reutter said.

Ideally, the project will be completed the same time the Institute of Genomic Biology opens in the area currently occupied by a parking lot next to Bevier Hall, North said. The institute will be connected directly to the second floor of Bevier Cafe and is expected to bring in more customers each.