By Jaci Bethel
From Far East Fusion to Greenlight and now to Hissho Sushi, the storefront in the University Center has undergone many changes over the past few semesters. However, it’s likely Hissho Sushi will be replaced next semester as Webster University, once again, starts looking for a new dining vendor.
Rachael Amick, the director of Housing and Residential Life, co-advises the Dining Advisory Board (DAB) alongside Katie Knetzer, the director of the University Center. Consisting of six Webster students, two faculty advisors and a Sodexo representative, the purpose of the DAB is to receive direct student feedback on dining options in order to improve the student dining experience.
“The station has really struggled to find its identity, and so it’s also been a place where we’ve been able to pilot different things based on student feedback, especially with the Dining Advisory Board and other things that we’ve heard,” Amick said.
Hissho Sushi continues to offer their regular sushi options out of the small cooler spaces which was originally the only place sushi-style food could be found around campus. Now, their new poke bowl option inhabits the storefront. The sushi expansion started as a concept pitch by the Sodexo representative as a way to deliver more options using a slightly larger space.
DAB member Adwoa Afriyie-Depay was elated to find out that Hissho Sushi would be taking the place of Greenlight.
“The food court is a place for students to enjoy meals that are not typically served at Marletto’s, and having Hissho Sushi expands the options and enhances the experience,” Afriyie-Depay said. “It brings a new and exciting element to dining for students, especially since sushi is a trendy and popular choice.”
Hissho Sushi not only offers more sushi options to students – it now provides an option for students with dietary restrictions. Dastan Kasymbekov, another DAB member, is enthusiastic about the new dining choices.
“One of the great things about poke bowls is their versatility,” Kasymbekov said.
“They can easily be made vegetarian, which helps address the need for dietary or religious accommodations. Poke bowls provide a healthy, customizable meal that caters to a wide range of preferences and needs.”
Afriyie-Depay has had a taste of the Hissho expansion and only has good things to say.
“I really enjoyed being able to customize my bowl by choosing the protein I wanted, combining it with my favorite veggies and topping it off with the sauce of my choice,” Afriyie-Depay said. “The ability to personalize my meal made the experience even better.”
The price of any poke bowl is $12.49 and consists of rice, one protein, three toppings, three veggies and a sauce, all of the customer’s choice.
As Sodexo’s contract with Webster University nears its end, it is unlikely that Hissho Sushi’s expansion will be available next semester. Some vendor options have recently been given campus tours and taken part in one-on-one interviews with Amick.
“We are running the RFP (request for proposal) process for a whole new dining vendor, and so I expect next year on campus to look very different with all dining options,” Amick said.
Hissho Sushi has received good reviews in the short time it has been open and serves as a step in the right direction to diversify Webster’s on-campus food options.
“I believe the dining experience on campus will continue to evolve in exciting ways over the next few years,” Kasymbekov said. “As students’ tastes and dietary preferences change, there’s an opportunity to introduce more diverse, inclusive and health-conscious meal options.”
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