The Terrace Restaurant on the ground floor of the Statler Hotel on campus is now open to public dining. Charles Harrington/University Photography
The Statler Hotel's Terrace Restaurant, long the private dining room of Cornell's Statler Club, is now open to the public, serving lunch Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For many years, the Terrace Restaurant, located on the ground floor of the Statler Hotel, was open only to members of the Statler Club, a private faculty-staff organization. But the cost of renting the Terrace Restaurant became too prohibitive for the Statler Club, which has seen a steady decline in membership.
"We had to do something to balance the books," said Professor Joel Silbey, former Statler Club president. "In considering all possibilities, we decided to reduce the space we needed at the Statler Hotel."
The Statler Club's new contract with the hotel calls for the use of a much smaller portion of the Terrace Restaurant, seating 75 instead of 200 people. The Statler Club has 1,297 members.
"The reduction in space used by the Statler Club allows us to provide an additional 225 seats for public dining," said Steven R. Grant, the hotel's director of food and beverage service.
The opening of the Terrace Restaurant, he said, is especially good news for those who frequented the Sage Hall dining facility, which has been closed as the building is being renovated.
"The Terrace Restaurant adds another option for diners on the central campus," he said.
With Banfi's and the opening of the Terrace Restaurant, the Statler Hotel is able to offer customers two distinct dining experiences, Grant said.
"The Terrace Restaurant provides diners with a casual setting and light menu, while Banfi's with its table service continues to offer a more formal luncheon option," he said.
Menu options at the Terrace Restaurant, which will continue its cafeteria-style service, have been expanded to meet consumers' varied appetites. Pizza, calzones and a daily special pasta dish will be regular menu items, along with made-to-order hot and cold sandwiches and the soup and salad bar. Upgrades are being made to the kitchen and the decor, with brass fixtures replacing stainless steel ones. Banfi's will continue to offer a gourmet menu and soup and salad-bar service for lunch.
The Statler Club continues to rent the lounge adjoining the Terrace Restaurant and the Wilcox Library. Coffee service for club members will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Regency Lounge.
In addition to the changes at the Terrace Restaurant, the hotel has overhauled operations at Mac's Grab & Go, located on the ground floor of the hotel. This favorite hangout for hotel students now resembles a Crate & Barrel outlet, offering self-serve foods and gourmet coffee. The kitchen, which served up hot fare for Mac's, now will become a teaching laboratory for the Hotel School. Mac's Grab & Go hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Student input was sought on planning the changes to Mac's, Grant said.
"These changes provide the Statler Hotel with more opportunities to serve and meet the needs of our campus customers and other guests," he said.
The Cornell Card may be used at the Terrace Restaurant and Mac's Grab & Go.