A poll in early May called for students to pick a restaurant to replace Tu Taco in the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC). As polls came to a close earlier this summer, a sushi restaurant took the win over Ciao Bella, an Italian restaurant, by 1000 votes. 

This new restaurant, FujiSan Handcrafted Sushi, will bring poke, boba and a variety of sushi to the RSC in time for the upcoming fall semester.

This change occurs annually and not as a result of dissatisfaction with Tu Taco, according to Jamie Kraisinger, the senior director of the dining program. 

“It’s just part of routine,” Kraisinger said. “I can tell you personally I was very sad to see it go, it’s been my favorite yet.”

Tu Taco was a part of the Student Choice Concept, where the student body votes every year for the new restaurant they want to see in the RSC. Tu Taco opened in August of 2023 and closed at the conclusion of the spring 2024 semester.

Kraisinger said the most important part of selecting a new restaurant in the RSC is student input. 

“I oversee the dining program, but without the students and their preferences for food, I would not have a job and nor would we have an operation,” Kraisinger said. “That really is the entirety of our program … basing (restaurant choices) around what students would like and what their needs are and how we can help meet those needs.”

When choosing the poll options, restaurants in both the RSC and Braeburn Square are taken into consideration. The RSC board of directors chooses the final options that students vote on. 

Every year, students can expect the unit where Tu Taco and FujiSan are to change. Kraisinger also mentioned a few other changes to expect in the fall. The Cargill Cafe will offer a meal exchange with FujiSan where students with meal plans can choose sushi as their entree choice.

FujiSan Handcrafted Sushi will open on Aug. 12.