Liberty Is Set To Open New Dining Location

Liberty University has announced that Shake Smart, a new dining venue, is scheduled to open after spring break. 

Shake Smart provides a unique menu with a focus on building a healthy lifestyle. According to Shake Smart’s website, its goal centers on providing students with the accessibility to a nutritious option when “on-the-go.”

The new location is opening in the Tilley Student Center near LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center. Shake Smart makes shakes with a high concentration in protein, a nutritional value for anyone working out and building muscle mass. 

Junior Liberty student Dalton Colburn shared his excitement when asked about the new addition to campus and what it will do for the students after working out.

“The new place at North will bring me a refreshing new taste different than Natural!,” Colburn said. “I am excited to add this place to my diet, especially after I work out.”

Duke Davis, district manager of Sodexo at Liberty, believes that Shake Smart is going to leave a big footprint on the campus dining at Green Hall. According to Davis, students enjoyed the samples handed out by the company in the past. 

Although some may confuse the new Shake Smart with a smoothie place, the drinks are known as shakes based on their unique style of ingredients. 

“They have a much bigger variety, even having coffee type of shakes,” Davis said. “Basically, every school that they have gone into, they have replaced the smoothie concept, and their sales have tripled or quadrupled.”

When people think of a shake, they might picture an ice cream based drink, but Shake Smart has liquid blended base ingredients like low-fat or nonfat milk, almond milk or oat milk. The menu also includes almond butter as an alternative to peanut butter. Organic plant protein can be used in place of whey protein.

The popular dining area at Green Hall is constantly flowing with students throughout the day, and Shake Smart will provide an option for students looking for a post workout bite to eat or something to drink. 

Of the shakes most popular during their testing at the Tilley Student Center, the “acai energy” seemed to be a big hit made from acai, banana, vanilla protein and organic peanut butter. Shake Smart also makes shakes gluten and lactose free as well as vegan friendly. 

Students can taste their very own full-sized shake from Shake Smart the week after spring break. Renovation has already begun, and construction workers are creating the space that will hold the new eatery location.

licari is a news reporter.