When the University opened Legends this year, it was feared that the new establishment might cut into the business of Reckers. After a month of Legends' operation, however, the 24-hour restaurant has seen no decrease in business.
"Reckers and Legends really serve different functions on campus," said Mike Davy, Reckers' operations manager. "If one wished to go to a club or dance or drink, Reckers was never the place to do that; we are much more geared towards informal socializing and studying - and, of course, our food."
Nevertheless, Reckers has begun to implement initiatives to increase its presence on the campus scene, including booking local bands. Station One will play there this Friday, the first of three dates the restaurant has booked for the fall semester.
In some ways, Reckers functions as the "happy medium" in the ND Food Services lineup. "We aren't the quick stop, like the Huddle or Subway, but neither are we the full restaurant, like Greenfield's, or the hot spot, like Legends" said Davy. "We do aim to be a destination on campus, where people come and sit down and relax, and we believe we succeed in that aim."
Reckers may also host a video game tournament in the future. Another idea on the drawing board is a Halo tournament for charity.
Reckers has undergone a substantial change in image in the past year. Its menu changed from grill-fired pizza and burgers to a more urban sandwich selection, with smoothies and Starbucks coffee on the side. Campus reaction has been mixed, but the opening of Sbarro in Lafortune Student Center provided students with another option more heavily focused on pizza.
