After being closed for two years because of COVID-19, Black’s Gold Grill, located in the University of Iowa Peterson Residence Hall, was reopened on Jan. 21 for staff and students.

The Black’s Gold Grill was originally opened in fall 2016, offering more dining options to UI students and faculty on the west side of campus.

The store offers a large variety of different food options for students ranging from burgers, slushies, and vegetarian options such as plant-based burgers. The grill’s menu also offers deluxe burgers, such as the “Hoosier Heat,” which includes jalapeños, hot sauce, and pepper jack cheese.

Along with food and drinks, the grill also offers foosball games and pool tables for students to use and enjoy. Although the grill does not accept flex meals, it does accept Hawkeye Dollars and credit cards just as similar campus cafes do.

Robert James, the assistant director for Retail Operations of UI Housing and Dining, said because of the grill’s limited storage space, it can’t handle offering flex swipes as a payment option.

“In addition to that, the first time you get a rainy day or a cold day you’d get half the building to probably come down to eat,” James said. “It couldn’t take 100 people or 700 people showing up at one time trying to eat, so it won’t be a flex meal option.”

The new dining option provides a closer choice for students living on the west side, who previously relied on Hillcrest’s dining hall and marketplace.

The menu features deluxe burgers and plant-based burgers, quesadillas, spring rolls, other grilled sandwiches, among other food items.

UI first-year student Tamryn Leonard said she was getting bored of Hillcrest dining food and feels good about having a new place to eat.

“Sometimes I’m just here wanting lunch or something, and again, Hillcrest just has the same food,” Leonard said. “It’s a nice change, it’s more of a grill area, it’s a little different than a lot of the other cafes on campus.”

When it reopened, the only change that was made to the Grill was its limited hours of operation. Gold’s Grill will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.

“I wish they were open a little later, I feel like sometimes I’m craving food past 12:30 when I’m up late studying,” Leonard said.

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The Grill’s hours are a result of its limited staffing, as well as campus dining areas usually see lower sales on weekends, according to James.

“Fridays and Saturdays are typically the slow days for us because students are usually gone for the weekend or they’re attending different basketball games and stuff like that at night,” James said.

Eventually, the Grill plans on adding wood-fired pizzas to complete its expansive menu.