The outside of UAA's new Seawolf Marketplace located on the bottom floor of the Student Union. Photo by Taylor Heckart.
A new dining option has arrived on campus this semester – the brightly colored Seawolf Marketplace, directly adjacent to Subway on the bottom floor of the Student Union.
Seawolf Marketplace took over the space that was once occupied by the long closed Taqueria. The space received a refresh, now boasting bright green walls and veggie-themed wallpaper.
The Seawolf Marketplace currently offers five salad options which range from $7 to $12. There is also the option to add grilled chicken or grilled salmon to salads for an additional $5 charge.
The daily soup – which changes – is $5. Seawolf Marketplace soups are also sold at Kaladi Brothers, Bear Necessities and Cafe Delgga.
The salad ingredients are diverse, with options such as feta cheese, fennel, endive, tomatoes, goat cheese, roasted red bell peppers, avocado, grapefruit and sweet peppers.
According to the Seawolf Marketplace menu, all salad dressings are vegan.
After choosing a salad, students can watch it be made in front of them.
Hannah Boron, a junior studying biological sciences, said that the food options provided on campus after Covid were “desolate.”
“It basically used to be the [Gorsuch] Commons. And there was a time we didn’t have Subway… and then Subway would close intermittently,” said Boron, “that’s not necessarily the fault of anybody, we were just coming out of Covid and [had] staffing issues, I just remember it being like, sometimes you didn’t eat.”
Boron said she appreciates seeing a “clear effort” from the university to respond to student needs, and appreciated that the Seawolf Marketplace was providing fresh food to students.
“I think it's a really good addition to campus. It's not like anything else that's there.”
Alix Lacy works at the UAA registrar’s office, but used to be a student at UAA back when the space was still the Taqueria.
Lacy said she used to get her meals from the information desk, but has tried Subway and the Seawolf Marketplace this semester.
She said that the new meal options this semester were exciting.
“Let me give a shout out to the Asian Chicken Salad!” said Lacy, “It’s $12, it’s very filling, it’s very flavorful and the price is very similar to if you got a meal at Subway.”
Students may notice the lack of plastic packaging at the Seawolf Marketplace – a choice that Seawolf Dining and Catering general manager Chris Tarsitano said was intentional.
The salad packaging is compostable and the cutlery is made out of bamboo. The drinks that are offered at the Seawolf Marketplace come in glass bottles or aluminum cans. Boxed water is offered instead of plastic water bottles.
Tarsitano said that the compostable packaging comes from Green Alaska Solutions.
According to their website, they work to find “earth friendly substitutes” and that all of their products are made from “natural materials” that “break down naturally and can be turned back into soil.”
Tarsitano said that the menu is built to change seasonally, but this current menu will likely be in effect through Thanksgiving. He said that they are excited for any student feedback.
Seawolf Marketplace is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
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