Florida Tech Opens New $8.5 Million Panther Dining Hall

MELBOURNE, FLA.—On Jan. 12, Florida Institute of Technology cut the ribbon on its new $8.5 million Panther Dining Hall with state-of-the-art kitchen, which will be the primary dining facility for students, faculty and staff. A new adjacent three-story parking facility, which cost about $5 million to construct, officially opened at the same time.

The cost of the 25,000-square-foot, 500-seat Panther Dining Hall includes planning, design, fees, construction, furniture and equipment. It replaces Evans Dining Hall as the main location for on-campus meals. Seating is a combination of indoor-outdoor; patio dining will overlook the university’s new swimming facility when it is complete later this year.
“Opening the Panther Dining Hall has been a greatly anticipated event,” said President Anthony J. Catanese. “Our students deserve this beautiful new facility, and faculty and staff are eager to enjoy the cuisine and pleasant environment of a premier dining center. The university dining experience is rising to a whole new level.”

The other dining facilities, the SUB Café and Deli, Rathskeller, Black Kats Kafé and Center Court in the Clemente Center for Sports and Recreation, remain open. All restaurants are open to the public. Panther Dining Hall hours are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Additionally, the Panther Grocery Store will accommodate patrons during hours the dining hall is not open. It offers a delicatessen, “grab and go” meals, groceries and sundries.

Project partners are Gateway Development, HADP Architects and the MH Williams Construction Group.