The University of Rhode Island has opened its $23-million Hope Commons dining center, prompting long lines that have reduced at least temporarily the participation at the campuss dozen other dining outlets

The University of Rhode Island has opened its $23-million Hope Commons dining center, prompting long lines that have reduced at least temporarily the participation at the campus’s dozen other dining outlets. In the early going, Hope was seeing more than two and a half times as many diners in its residential dining venue as the other main residential dining hall, Butterfield. The 47,000-sq.ft. Hope Commons includes the 600-seat Mainfare residential dining hall along with two retail outlets: the 110-seat Rhody Market, which stays open until 2 a.m. and serves pizza, smoothies and Starbucks branded coffee, and The Corner Store, which features of variety of grab-and-go wrap sandwiches and salads. Rhode Island U. currently has more than 5,500 students on meal plans.