Rice University inked a deal with the restaurant group LFG to bring Local Foods to campus as a vendor at Brochstein Pavilion this October. The new dining option will open this fall to offer coffee, pastries, fresh pastas, stone cooked pizzas, beer, wine and more.
“We are elevating the dining experience to meet the needs of the students, faculty, staff and community members who visit campus,” said Beth Leaver, senior executive director for Rice Housing and Dining. “Local Foods is the conduit that is going to help to create that experience.”
LFG brings a proven history of success in Houston’s culinary scene. Proprietor Benjy Levit has owned and operated Local Foods, Maximo, Lee’s Den, Benjy’s and the upcoming concept Milton’s.
Given that track record, Rice will benefit from the knowledge and experience of Levit and his team.
“When this opportunity came up to reimagine Brochstein Pavilion, my first thought was that this is an opportunity to become a real jewel box, not only on the campus but also for the city,” Levit said. “We were super excited about reinvigorating the building and returning it to the special place that it was always intended to be.”
Because Local Foods is based out of Rice Village and runs its own rotating food schedule throughout the year, the same can be expected at Brochstein to keep the offerings seasonal and varied.
By proxy, the presence at Brochstein creates a testing space for new recipes, which allows for the Rice community to be among the first to try Local Foods’ cutting-edge creations and concepts before they reach the general market.
“We’re going to weave in some creative, unexpected test kitchen ideas with our full-time creative chef working at Brochstein,” Levit said.
Local Foods’ presence supports not only the Owl community — it also supports local farmers through economic sustainability. Most of the restaurant’s products are locally sourced within a 90-mile radius of Houston.
Beyond supporting local farmers, convenience is another key imperative. Local Foods plans to make ordering as easy as possible. Customers may order at the counter, or they can place orders in advance and pick up the dish while on the go.
In addition to providing sustenance for hungry Owls, Local Foods will provide catering services for large groups and events on campus.
The decision to partner with Local Foods was a natural one, said Levit. Not only is the restaurant located next door to campus, so is he .
“Rice is a campus and a university that I really look up to,” Levit said. “I’ve had the good fortune of moving literally five minutes away from Rice.”
The encounter between the restaurateur and Rice was a result of personal connections and strategic thinking, mainly with Rice’s Senior Executive Chef Joseph Stayshich.
“Joseph is a work acquaintance with Benjy from a previous culinary job, so he initially helped make the connection,” Leaver said. “We approached Benjy with a question of how we can imagine a partnership. Through discussion, the topic arose about having a presence on our campus. It seemed to make a lot of sense to create a bridge from Rice University to the Rice Village area. We’re always trying to bring more density onto the campus to support all of our vendors, so we saw this partnership as a huge opportunity.”
Levit says the desire to expand to the Rice campus was almost immediate and filled with intent.
“He’s not only just a vendor in Rice Village; he’s a neighbor that lives down the street, so he has a connection to Rice and the community,” Leaver said. “He wants to be here. He can do a multitude of things anywhere he wants across the city, but he wants to be at Rice.”
The addition of Local Foods is only one of many touch-ups to Brochstein Pavilion. Leaver says the property is undergoing a complete renovation.
“We’re completely changing out the whole furniture package, the lighting package, the sound system and the serving island,” she said. “We will continue partnering with the Moody Center for the Arts to curate art throughout the year and host events at Brochstein. The exterior space is going to be pretty much the same, but the interior is going to be completely different. The floors and glass walls will be the only things that are left the same.”
For more information about dining at Rice, visit dining.rice.edu.