Sand and surf closer than it seems

There was no sun, sand or surf in the Brinkhous-Bullitt building on the UNC Health Sciences campus Thursday, but that didn’t stop people from partying at The Beach.

With blue and white balloons and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, throngs of people celebrated the opening of The Beach Café, the health science facilities’ version of Lenoir Mainstreet, a collection of restaurants.

Jaya Ghosh, senior project manager at the UNC School of Medicine, said the University constructed the café in order to provide an accessible dining location for medical students.

On Thursday, the vendors Chick-fil-A, Quiznos, Greens local fare restaurant and Espress Oasis coffee shop distributed free samples and coupons. The facility will offer a range of food from sandwiches and paninis to lattes and burgers.

Ghosh added that there used to be a café of the same name on the second floor, but the café was not as convenient or well-known.

“It wasn’t as accessible and people didn’t know about it,” she said. “We put it on the floor close to the medical quad, and it’s the right location as a lot of students study at Berryhill Hall,” a neighboring building.

Karen McCall, vice president of public affairs at the School of Medicine, said, although The Beach opened Aug. 17, administrators delayed the ribbon-cutting ceremony to accommodate the schedules of the staff members and ensure that operations were running smoothly.

Ghosh said reports from the dining services office stated The Beach has been popular.

“During lunch time there’s always a line for food and no room to sit,” said Kevin Tice, manager of Espress Oasis.

“So if that’s your definition of popular, I’d say it has been popular.”

Before The Beach was opened, students and staff at the health sciences campus would eat in cafeterias at the different hospitals.

“It’s definitely much-needed. There are only a few options for eating across campus,” said Cassidy Henegar, a graduate student in the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

“Before I’d eat at the Atrium Café, but I’d always have sandwiches. … So it’s nice to have a change.”

Chris Burgess, an X-ray technician at UNC Hospitals, said seating was the most noticeable improvement from other venues.

“I think the seating is the biggest draw,” he said. “There’s a lot of places to sit whereas in other places there is nowhere to sit.”


Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.