Olilo welcomed to Wright Place with Grand Opening

Students who have been asking for a new, healthy dining option on campus finally got their wish.

Olilo, the new Mediterranean dining option on campus, had its grand opening in Wright Place Tuesday and received a warm welcome from students, faculty and staff alike.

Colby Sheets, a senior communication major and psychology minor, was thrilled when Olilo opened because he wanted a healthier dining location for a long time.

“Olilo is delicious,” said Sheets. “Everything I’ve tried has been amazing so far and I like how you can add or substitute any of the toppings.”

Even faculty attended Olilo’s grand opening and noticed its popularity.

“This event is going great, ever since it opened the line’s been long,” said Kevin Allen, marketing coordinator for East Carolina University Dining Services, at the grand opening. “The line goes fast though, not to scare anybody away.”

Nestled in between Starbucks and Einstein Brothers, ECU opted to replace the Cupola’s Italian food with Olilo’s Mediterranean cuisine earlier this year.

“The Cupola wasn’t one of our more popular concepts, so we thought putting this in would get something kind of fresh and [give] healthier options,” Kevin Allen said.

Olilo offers students customizable entrees along with a variety of toppings and spreads full of “superfoods” like kale and hummus. The menu includes fresh foods and lean proteins cooked Mediterranean style, with harissa and lemon rosemary.

“When you go in here you’re automatically drawn to it, not just because of the line but the foliage and the bright menu boards,” Kevin Allen said.

Olilo was created by Cat Cora, the first female Iron Chef winner, in partnership with Aramark, a food service corporation. Known for her Mediterranean-style cooking, Cora opened restaurants across the country specializing in providing healthy, customizable meals to businesses and campuses.

“We are the first college in the United States of any Aramark campus that has one of these,” Kevin Allen said.

The menu items include “Greens + Grains Bowl” or “Handheld Flatbread,” with the possibility of customization at every level of the dish.

“I get a bowl with chicken and make it like a greek salad,” Kevin Allen said. “So I get the feta, the olives, the banana peppers and the garlic lemon dressing which is really good.”

Amanda Xiong, a junior architectural technology major, recommends students order one of the pre-created meals on the menu instead of trying to create their own dish the first time they try Olilo.

“It was just that the first time I had it, I couldn’t really tell what the stuff was because it had names I never heard of,” she said.

Due to the Mediterranean flavor, the taste of lemon is prevalent in many of the different items. According to Skip Allen, lemon is a familiar flavor exhibited along with babagganoush, tabuli and hummus.

“There’s two to three different types of hummus,” Skip Allen said. “There’s tzatziki sauce, harrissa, lots of good stuff.

Olilo opens with Wright Place every morning at 7. Closing times vary depending on the day. More information about Olilo and other campus dining options can be found online at ecu.campusdish.com.