Another eatery option is coming to the Memorial Union.

A bakery will fill the space vacated by Taco Shop on the MU’s dining block in early May. The NDSU Union Bake Shop is scheduled to open Nov. 30.

Darren Peterson, dining services director, said campus surveys by marketing classes helped determine the concept of the eatery to replace the “Mexican concept” on the east end of the dining block. A farmers market this fall near the Sheppard Arena also helped dining services determine a bakery to fill the space.

Peterson said dining services had a table at the farmers market, selling out its various breads in two hours.

“What we determined by that is there is a need on campus for people wanting baked items,” he said.

Peterson added the NDSU Union Bake Shop will “evolve based on trying things out and seeing if that’s what individuals want.”

The bakery will begin selling “some very basic baked items” and will be staffed by some of dining services’ 300 employees.

NDSU Dining has also posted flyers for hiring employees to work at the bakery with an application process that’s “a piece of cake,” a flyer read.

As for another “Mexican concept” eatery, Peterson said that’s “down the road.”

“We do not have a national brand that is interested in coming on campus,” he said.

Taco Shop was the third in a series of Mexican eateries that preceded it in the same space, including a Taco John’s and Taco Bell.

He added that dining services is conducting surveys to find out what students and employees are looking for in a Mexican eatery.

As for the NDSU Bake Shop, its presence on the MU’s dining block will be “ever evolving,” Peterson said, like all of dining services’ campus outlets.

“Reaction will drive what we do with it,” Peterson said. “It’s not about having a bakery in that space. We will continue to evolve and identify what we need to do with all the retail spaces on campus.”

The other retail spaces on the MU’s dining block include Burgers @ the U, Hoagie Hut, Marketplace Grille, Pizza Express and Panda Express.