Second Kabob-It location among new dining offerings at University of Chicago

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Burton-Judson dining hall at the University of Chicago had the occasional theme night — including fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches and other fare to represent Elvis Presley's favorite foods more than 20 years after Presley died.

For a while, back in the author's first year of college, students could also eschew the cafeteria-style steam tables for Chef Bill's station, as he would cut a slice of roast beef and dress it with "midterm sauce."

But in those days, students often complained about the dorm food. Some swore that a friend of a friend saw the "Grade D beef" truck pulling up behind the building — though no one really did, since it's just an urban legend.

Others found any excuse to eschew their meal plan and spend a few Flex dollars at the Taco Bell in Hutchinson Commons at the Reynolds Club instead. There were other fast-food options at Hutch, but Taco Bell was easily the most popular.

A lot has changed since then.

U of C has now introduced a new menu lineup, featuring barbecue, Bahamian cuisine, and an expansion of a popular purveyor of kabobs.

Maisha Oliver-Muhammad is the owner and chef at Kabob-It, located in Hutchinson Commons. The restaurant recently expanded to the Midway Café in the Renee Granville Grossman Residential Commons. Speaking to CBS News Chicago on Thursday morning, Oliver-Muhammad emphasized how a diverse variety of food offerings are culturally important at an institution that draws people from all over the world like UChicago.

"One of the things that I love about UChicago is that they have an offering for everyone. You have allergen-friendly stations, you have halal, you have kosher, you have a taqueria, you have a pasta station — they pretty much have an offering for everyone," she said.

Oliver-Muhammad explained that she had been a dining hall manager on campus, and was tired of that position and wanted to start her own business.

"I pretty much did all the work that I needed to. I had a short time working in retail, and in one of those locations, I saw how much the vendors in the space were generating, and that sparked and motivated me to want to start my own business," she said. "UChicago gave me the opportunity because I'd been there for so long, and so that pretty much was the beginning of Kabob-It."

In addition to the two UChicago campus locations, Kabob-It also now has a location at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

As explained by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Kabob-It pairs Mediterranean cuisine with African American influences and other flavors from around the world.

Popular offerings include a salmon salad sandwich and a mango lemonade at Kabob-It Express at the Midway Café, and grilled chicken at Hutchinson Commons. Kabob-It also offers kabobs with chicken, salon, locally grown vegetables and fresh spices.

"We actually just won a competition with the Chicago Bears almost two years ago for our grilled chicken," she said.

During her journey with Kabob-It, Oliver-Muhammad also enrolled with the Polsky Center's Small Business Growth Program, which pairs business owners from Chicago's South and West sides with U of C grad student consultants, faculty at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, and coaches.

The Polsky Center noted that in working with the program, Oliver-Muhammad was able to improve her business by swapping open containers for three-compartment containers that divided rice, salad, and protein for every meal, which reduces food costs.

Also newly opened this academic year on the UChicago campus is Little Betty Smokehouse, also in Hutchinson Commons. Little Betty is the brainchild of Dominique Leach, master of barbecue and founder of Lexington Betty Smokehouse in the Pullman neighborhood.

Leach gained national notoriety as a contestant and judge on the Food Network. UChicago noted that she pairs time-honored smoking techniques, "bold, soulful flavors," and an "unmistakably Chicago point of view."

At the Logan Center for the Arts, Café Logan recently underwent a transformation, partnering with the wife-and-wife team of Chef Lizz Wright and designer Monica Haslip, who operate Carver 47 Food & Wellness Market at the Little Black Pearl Art & Design Academy on 47th Street. The new café at the Logan Center is called The Hunt, honoring the late Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt.

The menu at The Hunt features all-day breakfast, salads and bowls, and sandwiches.

Meanwhile, Bahama Shack, which started at the University of Chicago, is on campus in food truck form. Bahamian-born Chef Courtney Neil operates Bahama Shack, serving up conch fritters, steamed or fried whole snapper, pigeon peas and rice, and other delicacies.

As for Oliver-Muhammad, she is looking to expand to open an airport location.