Campus News
Owl’s Nest serves up a new menu, with a reusable bowl program coming soon
Owl’s Nest debuts a new bowl menu and will be the first UC Santa Cruz dining location to offer USEFULL reusable takeout containers with pilot programming launching this fall.
Owl’s Nest, the Kresge College café that bills itself as “the wise way to lunch,” is starting fall quarter with two big changes: a new menu built around customizable and chef-designed bowls, and a new way to take them to go that leaves less behind.
Later this fall, Owl’s Nest will become the first location on campus to offer USEFULL, a reusable takeout container program that replaces disposable to-go packaging with premium stainless steel containers. Diners borrow a container, return it when they’re done, and it’s cleaned and put back into service — keeping single-use containers out of campus waste bins. Sign-up is open now, so diners can create an account and be ready on launch day.
What’s on the menu
With Build Your Bowl, diners pick two bases, a protein, four toppings, a sauce and a crunchy finish. Bases include organic greens, a brown rice and quinoa blend, and glass or chilled soba noodles. Proteins range from ahi poke and candied miso salmon to teriyaki chicken, miso ginger tofu and tamari maple tempeh. Toppings like mango, kimchi and seaweed salad, sauces like turmeric yuzu ponzu and wasabi avocado, and a sprinkle of furikake or crispy garlic round it out.
For diners who’d rather let the kitchen decide, eight chef signature bowls take their names from the Central Coast. The Santa Cruz Ahi pairs shoyu poke with avocado and seaweed salad, the Fire Island Chicken brings pineapple, kimchi and spicy yuzu aioli, and the vegan Redwood Garden and Wasabi Tempeh offer hearty plant-based options.
Every item on the menu is labeled for vegan and gluten-free options and common allergens.
“Our chefs built this menu around the bright, fresh flavors people kept asking for: poke, soba noodles, crisp vegetables and sauces with real character,” said Omar Galvez, executive director for Dining Services. “Whether you build your own bowl or pick one of the chef signatures, there’s something for just about everyone, including plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.”
How USEFULL works
Reusable containers will be available at Owl’s Nest later this fall, but you can sign up today. USEFULL is open to everyone — students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. To participate:
- Sign up. Download the USEFULL app and create a free account. Your personal QR code appears when you open the app.
- Check out. At the USEFULL kiosk at Owl’s Nest, scan your QR code or tap your credit card.
- Enjoy. Take your meal wherever you like. When you’re done, just empty the container; no need to wash it. UCSC Dining washes and sanitizes every container before it’s reused.
- Return. Within three days, scan the QR code on the bottom of the container at the return station at Owl’s Nest and drop it in. Late returns may incur a fee.
“The convenience of takeout shouldn’t have to mean more waste,” said Traci Takeuchi, associate director of retail and hospitality. “USEFULL makes the sustainable choice the easy one: you get your bowl in a sturdy stainless steel container, return it when you’re done, and it goes right back into use. We hope people sign up now so they’re ready when the containers launch.”
Visit Owl’s Nest
Owl’s Nest is located at Kresge College and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. In addition to bowls, the café offers espresso drinks, smoothies, boba, grab-and-go items. Payment options include Slug Points, Flexi Dollars and credit cards, and diners save 10% when paying with Slug Points Flexi Dollars.
For menus and hours, visit dining.ucsc.edu. To be ready for launch of the USEFULL reusable container program, sign up now in the USEFULL app. Be sure to stay tuned for updates and details about a forthcoming launch party.