The Hoot opens in the RMC
The opening night of the Hoot at the Rice Memorial Center was full of surprises for both the business and its customers. According to General Manager Joanna Weedlun, an unexpected fire alarm did not dampen operations and she is happy with the Hoot’s first appearance in the new location.
“Definitely tonight we were surprised by the fire alarm,” Weedlun, a Hanszen College senior, said. “It turns out one of our warmers was malfunctioning and read that it was only at 190 degrees when it was actually heating up past 300 degrees. So we opened it up and the fire alarm went off. But everything got back on track pretty quickly and no food was damaged, thankfully.”
Weedlun said a wide range of customers has noticed the Hoot in the RMC.
“We've gotten a lot of attention from [graduate] students today, which is what we wanted,” Weedlun said.
New hot food items on the menu include vietnamese banh mi sandwiches and Whataburger’s Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits, according to Weedlun.
“We have banh mi from Les Givral’s, so tonight we have tofu, pork, chicken, beef and meatball banh mi,” Weedlun said. “Also, past 11:30 p.m. we will be getting in Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits from Whataburger. We are on a trial period with that, but we are hoping that it will continue to be an every night thing throughout this semester.”
Weedlun said she was pleased that the Hoot was drawing students from around campus to the student center.
“We really want the student center to become more of a social hub at night,” Weedlun said. “What we've noticed is that a lot of people are buying food and hanging out. … I'm really excited for how things are turning out and I think they will only get better.”
Yoseph Maguire, a Wiess College sophomore, said the proximity between Coffeehouse and the Hoot prompted his visit.
“I was studying at Coffeehouse, and I decided I want banh mi,” Maguire said. “So I came to the Hoot to get banh mi.”
Will Rice College sophomore Jason Sanchez said the new food options make the longer trip worth it.
“I was apprehensive that the Hoot now has only one location at the RMC, but the one central Hoot outdid itself with the selection they now have — I love banh mi,” Sanchez said, as he enjoyed a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
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