UF students and faculty said, "Arrivederci" to Capeesh Italian Restaurant at the Reitz Union and will say, "Hola" to the Pollo Tropical restaurant.
Pollo Tropical, a Latin-Caribbean restaurant that first opened in Miami, will replace Capeesh Italian Restaurant on June 30. Capeesh closed Thursday afternoon.
Pollo Tropical offers marinated chicken, pork and ribs with sides like rice, beans, yuca and corn.
"Students have expressed an interest in bringing Pollo Tropical to campus since late 2007," said Jill Rodriguez, the marketing manager for Gator Dining Services.
Claudia Murray, a UF law student, played a lead role in bringing Pollo Tropical to the Reitz Union.
"I can eat at Fritanga [Latin Grill], but it's not the same," Murray said. "When we ordered food out, we didn't get pizza, we didn't get Taco Bell, we got Pollo Tropical - that's my comfort food."
Murray researched and found Pollo Tropical restaurants on the Florida International University and Florida State University campuses that also use Aramark for campus dining services. She started a Facebook group called "Bring Pollo Tropical to the Reitz Union" in February 2007 and set up a site for students to petition for the Latin cuisine.
Murray was surprised when about 1,200 people joined the group and 307 students petitioned, she said.
Pollo Tropical's construction is set to begin March 10, Rodriguez said.
Students can still access the UF Bookstore from the food court during construction.
Some students will miss the Italian restaurant.
"I've been to Capeesh probably a handful of times since I came to UF, and I haven't had any complaints," said Ethan Kopelman, a telecommunications junior. "It's actually kind of disappointing that they're changing it."
Nekeshia McInnis, a health science sophomore, never found Capeesh appealing but is excited about Pollo Tropical.
"I'm so tired of eating just fast food on this campus," McInnis said. "There needs to be more variety."
Rodriguez didn't respond to an e-mail question about the cost of constructing the new restaurant. But she said the restaurant will bring more variety to the campus community.
"Gator Dining Services is always looking for ways to meet the needs and preferences of the students," Rodriguez said.
