Planning for The Commons began in 2015. Among Tulane’s main goals for the facility were to offer a New Orleans-worthy dining experience via open kitchens, to maximize capacity and seating to serve the school’s growing population and to boost platform versatility to carry The Commons into the future. Hurricane readiness too was a priority.

Concept ideas started with food, utilizing local cuisine, then built in allergen-free, vegan, chef showcase and various cooking styles. All this was a huge departure from Tulane’s decades-old existing food hall, Bruff Commons.

As for space and capacity, the original four floors were compressed to three floors in a move to better build community. The challenge was how to fit 1,000 seats into a space that was expected to serve up to 4,500 meals per day, without expanding to a three-floor foodservice operation, all with hurricane readiness for the area.