The Dog Pound Deli celebrated its grand re-opening in Stevenson Hall while its manager hopes to take the brand campuswide.

The Tuesday grand reopening featured free cookies and drinks, along with a raffle and photo shoot with Victor E. Huskie. The Dog Pound Deli was originally located in Douglas Hall, but it moved into Stevenson Hall this year due to the deconstruction of Douglas. Civil Service Manager Scot Ostrander pushed to move the deli to Stevenson due to its popularity with students, and he said he hopes to see the Dog Pound Deli as a campuswide brand with other locations.

“We use fresh ingredients and bake our own bread daily, and even several times throughout the day,” Ostrander said.

Ryan Kozlowski, freshman business administration major, had only been to the deli on one other occasion, but he said it is better than the food available in the residence halls. Sophomore sociology major Megan Mishler likes that the deli is “a lot like Subway, with lots of options.”

Among the fun of the event, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Mike Stang, executive director of Housing and Dining, was among the guests who helped with the ribbon cutting. He said he sees the Dog Pound Deli as a favorite among students and thought the grand opening was a fun event.

After a few moments to relax during the ribbon cutting, a line of customers arrived to keep employees busy for the evening. Kameron Parker, sophomore psychology major and Dog Pound Deli employee, said he saw the grand opening as a special event, as it was “a unique event to NIU that doesn’t happen often.”