Moe’s Southwest Grill will be opening later than originally planned in the Busch Campus Center food court.
Previously scheduled to open in early November, Moe’s Co-owner Noraiz Khan said they are waiting for permits to come in from Piscataway to start construction on the new “Fresh Mex” venue.
“We’ll be opening this semester,” Khan said. “I’m still hoping for [sometime in] November.”
Assistant Director of Operations at Busch Campus Center Kevin Killen said while he hopes Moe’s will be open by the end of this semester, no specific opening date has been set.
Moe’s will serve Southwestern grill items such as burritos, quesadillas, nachos and salad, Khan said.
“It’s my favorite fast food restaurant — I love it,” said Emely Torres, an Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy fourth-year student. “I eat it at home [near Atlantic City. When] is it [coming?] Fall [semester] is halfway through.”
Moe’s would appeal to students because of its customizable menu, Khan said. The franchise is also known for its unusual item names, such as the “Homewrecker” burrito and the “John Coctostan” quesadilla.
He said vegetarian options will be available for every menu item, including marinated and grilled tofu.
“We’re bringing the freshness to the table,” Khan said. “Moe’s is really all about ‘whatever you want, you can put it in.’”
School of Arts and Sciences sophomore Seedra Enver said she is excited about Moe’s. “It’ll bring so much variety to Busch campus, especially for people with special dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians,” she said. “Food options at Busch are so limited.”
Khan said he has not yet decided on prices for the campus center but plans to make them reasonable for students. At his other Moe’s location in North Brunswick, items range from $3.99 to $8 and each meal comes with free chips and salsa.
“We’re going to build prices with students in mind,” he said. “If we can do something cheaper, we will.”
A committee of University staff and students selected Moe’s from a variety of interested vendors last spring, Killen said. The concept was based on results from a survey of more than 2,500 University students, faculty and staff.
“We really wanted to meet the needs of the Rutgers community and respond to their feedback,” Killen said. “We continue to be enthusiastic and excited to be working with Moe’s Southwest Grill, and believe they will provide excellent service to the entire Rutgers community.”
Killen said the campus center will work in conjunction with Moe’s to plan grand opening events for early spring semester.
In addition to his North Brunswick location, Khan said he plans to open more Moe’s restaurants in Central Jersey, including East Brunswick, the Manalapan and Freehold area and the Marlboro and Holmdel areas.
Khan said there will be about 25 job opportunities available to University students with the opening of Moe’s in the campus center.
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