College students need their food quick and on the go. Campus dining halls are geared toward the fast-paced academic lifestyle, and universities are consistently looking for tasty and nutritious options to meet the needs of their students and faculty members. Erbert & Gerbert’s Bistro focuses on very unique flavors and offerings in their soup and sandwich selections. This summer the concept will open three new locations on Indiana University’s Bloomington campus—the Gresham Dining Hall in Foster Residence Center, which is located at 1000 N. Fee Lane; The Wright Food Court at 501 N. Jordan Avenue; and the Willkie Residence Center Café at 150 N. Rose Avenue. This venture will be Erbert & Gerbert’s first self-operating campus bistro in the U.S. The three locations will replace existing facilities on campus, with construction slated to conclude before the end of summer. They plan to open this August, just ahead of the fall semester.
“We’re thrilled to bring Flavor Nation to Indiana University,” says Eric Wolfe, president and CEO of Erbert & Gerbert’s. “This will be our first introduction to the state of Indiana, and we’re excited to serve our delicious sandwiches and soups to the students and faculty members at Indiana University. Overall, our experience with the dining committee at Indiana University has been first class.”
Erbert & Gerbert’s Bistro was recently featured on Thrillist’s 33 Best College Sandwich Shops in America ranking, but they are much more than just a sandwich shop. Offering a range of choices, including breakfast options, hot and cold sandwiches, gluten-free sandwiches, and hot soup, Erbert & Gerbert’s Bistro provides a fast, fresh, healthy, and affordable meal plan to satisfy every student’s needs.
“Residential Programs and Services is very excited to bring the Erbert & Gerbert’s sandwich line to the IU campus community,” says Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Programs and Services at Indiana University. “We feel that Erbert & Gerbert’s will bring the high quality sandwich experience that students expect to the campus community.”
Erbert & Gerbert’s held an on-campus presentation that included taste tests for students and food service personnel. Attendees responded well to both the food being sampled and the company’s overall brand, which promotes science and story telling. The company’s cofounders grew up listening to history- and science-based stories their father told, and all of the sandwiches on the menu are named after characters from those stories.
Founded in 1988 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Erbert & Gerbert’s has grown to over 75 locations in nine states. Projections call for the opening of 20 new locations in 2014 toward the goal of 200 locations nationwide by the end of 2017.