Sophomore Caroline Tucker described the new Cougar Woods as “colorful, vibrant, welcoming, and just really lightens the mood.”

Kevin Blake, an English major, echoed Tucker’s sentiments, praising the new Cougar Woods, the only 24/7 college dining facility in Texas.

“Both dining halls have their perks, and the revamp that is undergoing in Cougar Woods is just fabulous,” said Blake. “I love how they made it more vibrant and lively with all the murals on the wall. It makes it feel more like an experience. I’m not just coming here to eat. I’m coming here to meet with my friends, to have fun. It’s a meeting place, not just for food.”

The Cougar Woods refresh is in phases. The first phase, now completed, added updated graphics and enhanced dining stations. Cougar Woods now features updated stations: La Mesa, Garden Bar, Sugar Rush, Bold Bistro, World Table, Pit Stop, Ciao Chow, and Delicious Without.

Among the exciting new food additions are a pair of smokers located just outside Cougar Woods, where meats are expertly smoked for the Pit Stop station.

Blake, a self-proclaimed super fan of both dining commons, said La Mesa is his favorite of the new stations at Cougar Woods Dining Commons. For Tucker, the new cereal station is what caught her eye.

While the previous iteration of Cougar Woods had a small cereal station, the revamped Cougar Woods now boasts a much larger cereal station.

The feelings that Blake and Tucker described are exactly what UH Dining Services and Auxiliary Services aimed for with the Cougar Woods refresh during winter break. To achieve this, they sought students’ input.

“We want to be a home away from home, so we have to keep infusing the energy. And that’s where the idea of this refresh came from—our students,” said Alexcis Mendoza, district marketing manager for UH Dining Services.

She added that through focus groups, table touches, and surveys, UH Dining Services found that while students loved Cougar Woods, they were interested in seeing some enhancements.

The second phase of the Cougar Woods refresh will further transform Cougar Woods Dining Commons, including new furniture arrangements.

The updates to Cougar Woods Dining Commons aim to transform it into a vibrant hub for dining, socializing, and creating lasting memories for students, faculty, and staff alike.