As a former Jefferson Hall resident, no one knew the convenience of the Jeff Market better than my hall mates and myself. Nothing beats having a craving, walking downstairs in my socks, buying that food, and walking right back upstairs. No shoes, no snow, no obstacles in my way.
When the end of the year came and we found out the market was being remodeled, we didn’t think that our dearly beloved market could become any more convenient.
We were wrong.
As a newly hired Jefferson Marketplace employee, I am here to give you the 4-1-1 on OU’s newest market so that when January 25 comes, you all can walk straight into that marketplace and shop intelligently.
Brick Street Deli
Jefferson Marketplace is radically different from both Boyd Market and Nelson Market and I bet you’ll love that. The newest concept is Brick Street Deli, located right at the front of the store. If you’re anything like me, you heard “deli” and thought, “oh, another Shively sandwich shop.”
Well, wrong again. This deli is a real life deli, like with sliced meats and cheeses. You can pick from their assortment of meats and get exactly what you want, which is so much better than what we have right now; those pre-wrapped packages of meats and cheeses just aren’t as good as fresh cut deli meats. You can even order online to make your day that much easier.
Ohio Cafe
This cafe, located right next to the deli, is the first thing you’ll see when you walk into the market. Unlike the other coffee spots on campus who feature Starbucks coffee and Seattle’s Best, the Ohio Cafe sells Peet’s Coffee, a brand known for their dark roasts and robust flavors.
Veggie Butcher
God bless this concept. Have you ever wanted to go to the market and get a lemon for lemon water, but you don’t have a nice enough knife to cut the lemon? Or you really want kiwi, but you can’t cut it? Or even that you are in desperate need of some pineapple spears, but you don’t have a giant knife in your dorm because you aren’t Jason from Friday the 13th?
Fear no more, because it is the job of the Veggie Butcher to cut up any fruit or vegetable that you buy in the market. Want your tomato sliced? They can do it. Want your potato cut up into fry shapes? They can do it. They can do basically anything, so just ask and you shall recieve.
Juiced
Located right next to the Veggie Butcher is Juiced, your one-stop-shop for any and all juicing needs. Along with fresh squeezed lemonade, orange juice, and (possibly) grapefruit juice, the Juiced concept is poised to create a plethora of fresh squeezed juices for your healthy life.
The Culinary Studio
Because we are an institution of higher learning, it only makes sense to offer cooking classes in the newest addition to the OU Culinary world. In the Culinary Studio, you can learn not only fancy new skills to impress your future spouse and/or parents, but you can also expand your cooking skills to go beyond spaghetti and mac and cheese. Thank god.
Steeped and Stirred
Tea lovers, rejoice. Finally, a place for you to go to get a good ass cup of tea, and not just watch the workers in the coffee shops on campus drop a bag in some hot water. Steeped and Stirred is new zen spot for the best cup of tea you will ever have.
Jefferson Market
Last but not least, the grocery store. Gone are the days of temporary walls and no fresh produce, because the new Jeff Market will feature not only fresh fruits and veggies, but also fresh cut flowers (Valentines day is comin’ in hot, ladies and gents) and real walls.
Aside from the new foods and flowers available, you can also find a salad bar, a hot bar, and way more space than Nelson Market can offer (read: Saturday afternoons will get so much easier).
So now that you have this guide to the new Jefferson Marketplace, you’ll be able to navigate through the shiny new aisles. Happy shopping, Bobcats.