This winter, when it’s cold and windy, students won’t have to venture outside as often to purchase food if they have classes in Bowman Hall.

Food 4 Thought 2 Cyber Cafe opens Tuesday on the main floor of Bowman Hall, said Greta Siler, manager of Food 4 Thought. The cafe is a scaled-down version of the original Food 4 Thought Cyber Cafe, located on the second floor of White Hall. Profits from both cafes go to student initiatives and scholarships.

The new cafe features healthy snack foods including smoothies, bagels, soup, coffee, hummus, oatmeal, fresh fruit and more, Siler said.

Siler created the first Food 4 Thought as her master’s project while studying nutrition and dietetics. She agreed to manage the cafe, which opened in late September 2007.

Siler said she’s not as apprehensive about opening the cafe in Bowman Hall because now, she knows what to expect.

“I’m more excited about it,” Siler said. “I’m especially excited to see the reaction of people over in Bowman who have never been to Food 4 Thought.”

Kevin White, a graduate student in political science, said opening a cafe in Bowman Hall is a great idea.

“It can sometimes be inconvenient to go to the Student Center, especially if you have a short time between classes, or it’s winter,” White said. “It will be convenient to get something to snack on.”

Ryan Mitchell, senior physical education and health major, said he often eats at the White Hall Food 4 Thought. He said he’s excited for students in Bowman Hall because they’ll get to experience something new and nutritious.

“Food 4 Thought brings students in White Hall closer together because it’s a nice place to hang out between classes,” Mitchell said. “I’m sure it will bring Bowman students together, too.”

Meredith Reinhard, Kent State alumna, worked at the White Hall Food 4 Thought for two semesters. Like Mitchell, Reinhard said she appreciated the healthy food the cafe served.

“[Customers] didn’t have to feel guilty about what they were choosing to buy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything [in] between because the concept of the cafe is all about healthy, nutritious food,” Reinhard said.

The cafe, which doesn’t accept meal plan, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Friday.

For nutritional information visit Food 4 Thought’s webpage at http://www.kent.edu/EHHS/Cafe.

Contact Abby Prulhiere at [email protected].