By Brian Roe, Student Reporter

The Bean Sprout CafŽ has a new look, a new menu and new food items.

The 2003 Bean Sprout is focused on specialty food, like hamburgers and chicken, with the focus on creating an identity and offering better quality over more quantity, according to Andre Allen, director of retail.

Three basic items are offered: hamburgers, chicken and a Philly Steak Sandwich.

Nine different burgers are featured on the new menu, including a vegetarian burger called the Bistro Boca Burger.

“We wanted to create a niche this year for the Bean Sprout,” Allen said. “Instead of having several different things that were okay to eat, we wanted to offer a handful of items that are top quality.”

The Bean Sprout this year will be focused especially on different types of burgers and chicken.

The Bean will offer some other regional favorites that were previously served at the Bean Sprout, like barbeque, quesadillas and catfish, Allen said.

Hamburgers will be rotated on and off of the menu, with over 100 possible recipes.

“We wanted to identify with the market more this year,” Allen said. “I think with our selection of burgers we can say that the best burger in Abilene is right there in the Bean Sprout.”

Layne Rouse, senior human communications major from Midland, said he likes that the Bean Sprout is going for a new style but misses the variety.

“I had the Baja Chicken Sandwich, and it was good,” Rouse said, “but I don’t want to eat it every day. The variety is not there like it was in years past.”

Others have a different view of the new food offered.

“I ate one of the burgers, and they’re not as good,” said Brad Campbell, senior psychology major from Fort Worth. “It tasted like a Six Flags burger. Plus, why go spend $7 on a burger, fries and a drink when you can get a better burger at other places for $5?”

The price of the food is similar to other campus’ prices for a hamburger and French fries.

A regular sirloin hamburger is $3.79 a la cart and $5.69 with fries and a drink.

Students will be charged $4.29 for the specialty burgers a la cart. These burgers cost $6.19 when served with fries and a drink.

“We are using top quality meat this year,” Allen said. “Last year we used ground beef, but now we are using sirloin beef in between two toasted cornbread rolls.”

Despite the changes this year, Allen said he is confident the transition will work out.

“We are really setting a platform for other universities with specialty cafŽs,” Allen said. “It’s different than what you’ve tasted before, but give it a try. I wouldn’t put anything on the menu that I don’t think is worth eating.”