CoHo South closure, developments at Silo Market among UC Davis food service changes

Campus dining prepares for fall with new menu items and offerings

By ZAYNAB MOHIUDDEEN — campus@theaggie.org

This fall quarter, returning students might notice changes to their favorite places on campus to grab a quick bite to eat — and to the food offerings themselves.

The most notable development is the permanent closure of CoHo South, the smaller sister of the Coffee House (CoHo), which served drinks and food at the Student Community Center for nearly 15 years. The cafe closed on June 11 following a decline in business volume and budget challenges, according to UC Davis. 

The cafe’s offerings included many of the same drinks and baked goods available at the main CoHo location in the Memorial Union, but it also garnered traffic for its sandwiches and wraps, along with location-specific items. This included lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) and its signature Chili Stack (a serving of French fries topped with vegetarian chili and cheese).

Darin Schluep, the director of Associated Students Dining Services who oversees the main CoHo and CoHo South, said via email that several factors contributed to the decision to close the location.

“Unfortunately, transaction volume never recovered to pre-pandemic levels, which made the financial viability of the space more difficult,” Schluep said. “Rising labor costs, cost-of-goods increases due to inflation and increased competition in the area all compounded the challenge and led to the decision to pull back from operating in the space.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, CoHo South served more than 1,100 customers per day at its peak. That figure had fallen to approximately 450 customers per day during its final year, according to Schluep. He noted that CoHo South’s closure did not eliminate any positions for student employees who wanted to continue working for the CoHo.

“The student staff of the CoHo South operation were all offered positions within the main Coffee House,” Schluep said. “Some have already transitioned over, some will start in the fall and others chose to look elsewhere.”

The former cafe has since been transformed into the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center. The space is expected to serve as a food recovery hub and provide kitchen support for the AggieEats food truck, with the possibility of expanded services in the future, according to Schluep.

Heela Akrami, a fourth-year sociology major who works as a barista and at the CoHo’s Swirlz counter, said she had heard about the closure of CoHo South from friends, but wasn’t sure it was official until she read the official campus announcement.

“It's kind of weird that CoHo South closed down just because it's right next to Silo, which is where the bus station is and a lot of people are on their way to the bus or coming off the bus,” Akrami said. “I feel like [CoHo South] would get a lot of traction and people coming in, but I think those people are going to shift towards the main CoHo — which is fine because we are very well staffed.”

Akrami said the main CoHo already offers a broad selection of drinks and snacks, but speculated that some popular items previously sold at CoHo South could eventually be added to its menu. Schluep confirmed that the CoHo may consider former CoHo South items if there is enough interest, although there are no current plans to transfer them.

Still, students will find several new options at the main CoHo this fall. Chickpea has added a build-your-own salad option with new protein choices, while TxMx will offer a carne asada-inspired meat alternative. The Cooks booth will feature a baked potato bar and new deli-style salads. Swirlz will continue offering monthly and seasonal beverages, including pumpkin spice lattes, cookie butter chai and cookie butter lattes in September.

Students can follow @asucdcoffeehouse on Instagram for updates about menu items, hours and events. The CoHo will host “Taste of CoHo,” featuring samples and vendor-provided items from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day during the first full week of fall quarter, Sept. 28 to Oct. 2.

The CoHo is not the only campus dining option that is introducing changes. Spokes is launching an all-day breakfast menu from Sept. 21 to Oct. 9, according to Kristen Stephens, a marketing communications specialist for UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services. A new ramen bar at Latitude Market is set to open on Sept. 15 and will serve tonkotsu, shoyu and vegan miso ramen, along with items such as sesame balls, gyoza and shishito peppers. 

YoloBerry at the Silo has also lowered its prices following feedback from students and other members of the campus community, according to Stephens.

A list of dining and food options available on campus can be found on the Student Housing and Dining Services website.

Written by: Zaynab Mohiuddeen — campus@theaggie.org