By James Grech and Maverick Marcellana
As Long Beach State prepares for major renovations to the University Student Union, students will lose access to the available dining option. To reduce the impact, ASI is expanding the campus farmers market, increasing its operation from two days to four days a week starting next fall.
The USU will close in August 2025 for an estimated $302 million renovation project, according to the ASI website. The closure is expected to last until Summer 2028 and will aim to increase food vendor services and create new dining areas.
In the meantime, restaurants inside the USU will be closed.
“We need to try and replace the food service on campus to the best of our ability,” said ASI’s Communications Coordinator, Shannon Couey. “The extension of the farmers market is one of the ways that we’re trying to mitigate the impact of those vendor closures when the building is gone.”
Couey said the decision was driven by the need to replace the six existing food vendors in the USU, which will be unavailable during the renovation.
Currently, the farmers market operates every Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Friendship Walk near the front of the USU.
Starting in Fall 2025, it will expand to Monday through Thursday, offering a wider range of vendors and products.
While the market currently hosts five to seven vendors each week, including those selling bao buns, tamales and tacos, it has lacked a consistent source of fresh produce.
“We consistently hear that there’s not enough healthy food options. Bringing in fresh produce vendors for the farmers market is one of the ways we’re trying to alleviate that issue,” Couey said.
To further address the loss of dining options, some current USU vendors will operate from mobile kitchen trailers stationed around campus during the renovation; these include Subway, Carl’s Jr., The Nugget Grill & Pub and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
The renovated USU seeks to feature nine to 11 dining vendors, with plans for The Nugget Grill & Pub to receive a new location within the Union.
An updated space is projected for the Beach Pantry, which provides food assistance to students in need.
According to Couey, the remaining vendors will be selected through a currently ongoing request for proposals process, potentially bringing new restaurants to campus.
“It’s temporary for the closure of the Union, so just during that three-year period of construction, I think that we’ll have to reassess once the building opens,” Couey said.
A plate of taro and custard bao buns from Bao Bao House sits next to a cup of ube horchata from Lasa on Dec. 11. Both businesses are vendors at Long Beach State’s Farmers Market. Photo credit: James Grech
For many students, including 20-year-old psychology major Emily Vara, the news of the USU’s renovation and farmers market expansion was a surprise.
“I didn’t know that they were planning on doing that,” Vara said. “I just automatically like renovations… it will make it better for students overall.
Despite her support, Vara also expressed curiosity about the timeline and alternative food options during the closure.
When asked about an expanded farmers market, Vara said she was open to the idea and that more variety and affordability would be better.
“I want to see more programs that help students afford fresh produce,” Vara said, recalling a time when she benefited from a $5 voucher program.
For first-year Ronak Kashyap, the USU’s closing brings concerns about the availability of study and social spaces for students on campus.
“I’m wondering where everyone will go,” Kashyap said, pondering the impact on “day-to-day activities” and whether it will lead to overcrowding in other areas like the library.
Despite being less familiar with the farmers market, Kashyap said he sees the expansion as a positive development that will lead to more community involvement.
“I think it’ll be a good idea,” Kashyap said. Additionally, he said he wants to see “more exposure to Eastern [and] South Asian cultures” at the market.
Within the projected improvements, ASI plans to use Grow Beach Garden by donating its fresh produce to the Beach Pantry for students.
Additionally, a larger variety of vendors are planned to be spread out across Friendship Walk so that the market is not limited to the usual lineup of food vendors.
The USU holds a special significance for international students, including Anna Phan, who has been studying English at CSULB for the past six months.
“I can study here. The quality is so good,” Phan said, explaining that it has helped her improve her language skills.
The news of its impending closure did not thrill Phan.
Phan, who visits the farmers’ market about twice a month primarily to purchase lunch after class, hopes the expansion will bring more variety.
“I think [it] should have more referrals to food [and] drinks,” Phan said.
She also expressed interest in seeing fresh fruits and vegetables available at the market.
While the expansion of the farmers market provides a temporary measure to address the challenges posed by the USU renovation, it could have a lasting impact on campus dining culture.
“It’s all sort of based on need,” Couey said. “If students are utilizing these vendors, then it may make sense to continue offering them.”
