As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing student life at Royal Holloway, Tommy’s Kitchen is set to undergo a makeover this summer.
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing student life at Royal Holloway, we are pleased to let you know that Tommy’s Kitchen is set to undergo a makeover this summer.
Having heard that Medicine is primed for a major transformation, as revealed last week, Tommy’s wanted in on the action. We’ve gathered a lot of feedback from students over the last few years and we feel that the time is right to implement some changes.
You spoke, we’ll deliver (just a little bit better than before).
What’s The Story?
Tommy’s Kitchen opened nearly four years ago, designed as a budget food outlet specialising in burgers and simple dishes. It also allowed the main SU building to remain open all evening, giving students and student groups access to the space.
It might interest you to know that Tommy’s runs at break even, meaning it simply covers its costs (even though any money made would be ploughed back into core services like the Advice Centre or clubs and societies).
Anyway, you’ll have noticed that Tommy’s hasn’t changed much since it opened and we feel it’s probably about time we give it an update to bring it up to scratch.
We've been busy working on a revamp proposal, looking at everything from updating the furniture and back bar to finding a colour scheme that works with our brand. Mood boards and sketches aplenty (see below), we have been taking inspiration from various different sources as we look to create a space that really stands out, as well as meeting its essential functions.
Moodboard - Look and Feel
You Said / We Did (well, we’re going to)
You said: it was a bit unclean and untidy. We’ll: update the décor to improve this, with new furniture to make the space more comfortable. We’ll also be adding lots of better bins – hooray!
You said: it was a bit too much like a bar in the morning and day time. We’ll: design a flexible space that changes from the day time to the evening, giving a better atmosphere for food etc.
You said: the sides weren’t great value. We’ll: increase portion sizes.
You said: you wanted more offers. We’ll: add more deals to the menu, with an added focus on the morning and early evening periods.
Student staff said: they were fed up of moving all the furniture every Wednesday and Friday night for events. We’ll: use a different design model, where only six or seven tables will need to be moved.
In addition to this, we’ll be making changes to how the food is served and putting in a new system to make sure there is always enough cutlery and plenty of sauces available.
A summer of change
It seems that the good news just keeps rolling in – returning students or those arriving on campus for the first time in September will be treated to a brand-new Medicine and a refurbed Tommy’s which we’re sure you’ll agree is fantastic news! With The Packhorse only opening its doors a year ago, that’s three SU venues that will have been refreshed to meet the needs and expectations of our students. All part of our long term plan, and a committment to your university experience!
Rate Your Union
We love to know your thoughts on how we’re doing - our annual Rate Your Union survey is running until 1 June. This is your chance to have your say on the SU and allows us to act upon any areas highlighted for improvement.
This year’s survey includes a section dedicated to our Trading Services (think club nights, The Packhorse and our Union Bus service etc.) Make sure you let us know what you like, what you don’t like and what you would like to see more of. We really do listen to what you say, allowing you to shape the future of your university experience.
Make sure you keep an eye out for our daily prizes that are on offer - we’ve already given out a Summer Ball VIP Package and an Amazon Echo! There’s loads more to be won though including two tickets to Community Festival, a Kindle Paperwhite and a mystery grand prize, which will be revealed on Friday 25 May.
Complete the survey