La Cucina construction now under way
Thursday, December 10, 1998
La Cucina construction now under way
ASUCLA: Building plans finally meet approval after numerous delays
By Neal Narahara
Daily Bruin Contributor
A temporary wall has stood around the future site of La Cucina since early last summer in order to block off the construction - or lack thereof - from the rest of Ackerman's Terrace Food Court.
"We're disappointed they weren't able to open this fall," said Terence Hsiao, business development director of the Associated Students of UCLA (ASUCLA).
According ASUCLA officials, La Cucina was originally scheduled to open at the beginning of the quarter, concurrently with neighboring Rubio's Baja Grill. But construction has been held up, largely due to problems with the restaurant's plans.
La Cucina started construction of its new restaurant two weeks ago when its plans were finally approved, about three months late.
ASUCLA officials expect La Cucina to open by the beginning of winter quarter.
According to Hsiao, the delays are primarily due to La Cucina's slow response to university required changes to its architectural plans.
"(The university) has in-house inspectors and precise rules," said Joe Rodriguez, general manager of La Cucina in Century City, where employees are being trained for the UCLA location. "The original (building) plans had to be changed."
La Cucina's parent company, New York-based Sbarro, is experienced at opening franchises, with close to 1,000 locations in the United States but ran into planning problems with its UCLA location.
"Its standard operating procedures work everywhere else but here," Hsiao said.
According to Hsiao, California building codes, particularly those for UC campuses, are more stringent than what Sbarro is used to. The La Cucina plans were submitted repeatedly because they did not comply with codes. According to Hsiao, Sbarro was aware of the requirements, but it still failed to meet them.
"To be candid, we sent them the specifications," Hsiao said.
Rubio's ran into similar planning problems but was more responsive to changing its plans than Sbarro, contributing in part to its earlier opening, Hsiao said.
To date, the arrangement with La Cucina has not paid off for ASUCLA.
"We have not been garnering rent from La Cucina (for the past three months)," said Rich Delia, chief financial officer of ASUCLA.
According to Delia, La Cucina was budgeted to contribute $13,000 to the students' association for each of the past three months it was planned to be open. This $39,000 shortcoming has contributed greatly to the food service division's failure to meet budget so far this year.
Increased sales in the Cooperage have partially made up for the delayed opening of La Cucina, according to Delia.
La Cucina is a new Italian food vendor developed by mall food court mainstay Sbarro. It will join Rubio's and Panda Express as campus restaurants not owned or operated by the students' association.
ASUCLA chose to have off-campus vendors, which often have higher prices than ASUCLA's own restaurants, take the place of old Treehouse restaurants because it was less expensive for ASUCLA than opening its own restaurant.NICOLE MILLER
The opening of La Cucina has been delayed due to contract disputes.
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