Food Transformation Initiative brings campus style dining to Ellsworth Published July 8, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Hrair H. Palyan 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Airmen, their families and base and community leaders came together to celebrate the grand opening of the Raider Café during a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 6. The event was the culmination of more than 18 months of planning, organizing and restructuring of the base's old dining facility known as the Bandit Inn. "This is indeed a special day in the history of Ellsworth Air Force Base," said Col. Thomas Goulter Jr., 28th Mission Support Group commander. "Today symbolizes the opening of our newly-renovated base restaurant. With the help of our partners and contractors in the local area, we are able to provide Airmen a unique dining experience." Tech. Sgt. Sharonda Marcy, 28th Force Support Squadron Raider Café manager, said the facility features state-of-the-art cooking equipment, new televisions, a new menu and many more amenities. "Our customers have a lot of different options," Marcy said. "They can enjoy bison burgers, paninis, cold cut subs and Mongolian barbeque to name a few. We also have a fresh salad bar and a number of desserts they can choose from." Marcy explained that in addition to eating at the Raider Café, the base's campus-style dining will allow Airmen with meal cards to eat at the Bandit Lanes Recreation Center, the Flight Kitchen and the Dakota's Club. "Meal card holders are authorized up to three meals a day in one of those locations," Marcy noted. "We consider a meal as what they can consume in one meal period. They're also authorized two beverages per meal." The Raider Café also features a Grab-N-Go service, which allows Airmen to build their own meal and take it to go. "Grab-N-Go services are considered one meal," said Marcy. "So if Airmen eat one meal at our facility, and get a second meal to go, that counts as two separate meals." Airman 1st Class Tess Bogner, 28th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, dined at the café during the grand opening and said her meal was a pleasant surprise. "I came to Ellsworth just a little over a year ago and immediately had to start eating out and preparing my own meals," Bogner said. "It's nice to have the ability to just go to the dining facility and have fresh food prepared for you. The food tastes great. I really look forward to coming back for more." The Raider Café is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekends and holidays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and daily for late-night snacks from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. For more information, call the Raider Café at 605-385-1625.