1887 Bistro opened its doors in Talley Student Union in September and has since gained the interest of faculty and students alike as a late-night gathering spot and “fine-dining” option.
Located on the third floor of Talley Student Union, 1887 Bistro presents a change of pace in food with its flatbreads, entrees, desserts and more. Chef Corey Palakovich, the unit chef in 1887 Bistro and One Earth, talks about the beginnings of the bistro and how it functions on a regular day.
“It’s kind of still the same crew we started off with,” Palakovich said. “When we first starte, I think all of the servers were students, and they still are, and as far as back of the house goes we had myself as the chef, and I have one sous chef underneath me. He kind of runs the late night, and he’s got three cooks and a dishwasher. Daytime is pretty much the same. I run the daytime and we’ve got three cooks and a dishwasher as well.”
Students who do work at the bistro have the opportunity to gain service industry experience. Carey Kauffman, a sophomore studying nutrition science, has worked at 1887 Bistro since about three weeks after it opened.
“I think the bistro is a really cool place for students to have a restaurant-style meal on campus,” Kauffman said. “Working there gives students the opportunity to know what it’s like to work in the service industry as well. All of the staff at 1887 are really friendly, and I have made friends with coworkers and customers alike.”
Kauffman said she wishes the bistro was open more hours but understands from a university standpoint why it is not.
1887 Bistro is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 9 p.m. to midnight. The amount of business from faculty and students changes between the daytime operations and late-night operations, with the late nights being geared toward students.
The bistro is the first full-service restaurant at the university, and a lot of the service staff were fairly new at waiting tables, according to Palakovich.
“It kind of took a while for the front of the house to get trained to get comfortable, and now that they know what to do and what to look for, the service goes a lot better,” Palakovich said.
In 1887 Bistro’s beginning, there were a lot of long tickets and a long time between when the order was taken and when it was rang in, according to Palakovich.
“From the customer’s perception, it seemed like 30 minutes to get their food when in actuality by the time it got rang in, it was taking only 10 minutes for us to make it,” Palakovich said.
Now there is more service staff on the late nights, and the staff is taking strides to better itself, according to Palakovich.
The students who come to Talley Student Union have their own takes on what they think of 1887 Bistro, what it offers students and how it could improve.
“Though the portion sizes tend to fall on the lighter side for the price, it’s very nice to have a place like 1887 Bistro on campus,” said Anirudh Bhateja, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering.
1887 Bistro continues to serve students and faculty with its restaurant-like atmosphere and mix of appetizers, small plates, shareable dishes and bistro cuisine.
“I definitely think it’s a good addition,” said Jesse Morgan, a sophomore studying engineering. “It’s nice to have a more unique dining experience on campus and have somewhere to use my meal swipe for late-night hours.”
