Sloopy’s Diner, located in the Ohio Union, is holding a Game Day Buffet on Saturdays. Credit: Kyrie Thomas | Campus LTV Producer
Sloopy’s Diner has revamped its game-day buffet this season to include advanced reservations for Ohio State fans and students.
The buffet — which is offered before the Ohio State football team’s Saturday home games and hosted by Sloopy’s Diner in the Ohio Union — features a rotating menu, which includes a cooked-to-order breakfast station, wings, ribs, nachos, mac and cheese, cinnamon rolls and “Buckeye” pancakes that come with peanut butter, chocolate and whipped cream.
The buffet will change its hours of operation based on game times, according to the Ohio State Office of Student Life website. For noon kickoffs, advanced seating reservations are bookable from 8:30-10 a.m., whereas reservations for 3:30 p.m. games and night kickoffs are available from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sloopy’s Diner started the buffet in 2011, but took a hiatus during the 2020 and 2021 football seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kathie Serif, associate director of operations for Ohio State’s Dining Services.
Serif said the buffet reopened in 2022; however, attendance dropped post-pandemic, leading to the added reservation option — an attempt to draw more Buckeye fans to the buffet’s assorted offerings.
“The buffets were fun and the people really enjoyed them,” Serif said. “If you are coming in from out of town, you’re not sure where you’re going or what’s going on, it’s nice to know that you’ve got something set.”
Patrick Woo, a fourth-year in instrumental music education and a Sloopy’s Diner employee, said he appreciated the chance to serve people that stand apart from the normal campus crowd.
“We get to meet a lot of families that are coming in, especially for the game day,” Woo said. “It’s an overall great experience.”
Woo said an exciting aspect of this year’s buffet is its rotating menu, which changes out specific items based on the game times.
“They rotate certain meals, so they’ll have a standard breakfast menu like eggs, bacon and bread, but some of the specials they have do rotate from time to time, like mac and cheese,” Woo said.
After three home games, Serif said attendance for the buffet has been steady, and she hopes even more people come when Ohio State plays the Big Ten games on its schedule.
“Our first one was a 3:30 p.m. game, and that one was busier than any of the ones we had last year. So, we were very excited about that,” Serif said. “It was not a big team they were playing, [but] we are looking forward to [attendance] going up with Big Ten games.”
The buffet costs $24 per person, $10 for children 12 and under or two meal swipes for students on a university dining plan. Reservations can be made before gameday, but walk-ins are also welcome.
For more information about Sloopy’s Diner’s game-day buffet, including information about how to reserve a seat, visit the Ohio State Office of Student Life website.
