La Famiglia, a local Italian restaurant, will be partnering with Sodexo and Marshall University for an on-campus location in the Memorial Student Center.

The new location is part of a series of changes and additions that Sodexo and Marshall are making because of Sodexo’s new contract. La Famiglia’s MSC location is within the first phase of these additions.

The original La Famiglia location, located on Sixth Avenue, has been in operation since October 2011.

“We wanted to bring authentic Italian food to the area,” Ralph R. Hagy, owner of La Famiglia, said.

Hagy has been working with Marshall’s food services for over 14 years, but before 2011, the work was only in catering. In February of this year, Hagy said he was approached by Sodexo to create a new location for La Famiglia, bringing authentic Italian food directly to students.

“They were looking for somebody local,” Hagy said. “Somebody who was part of the Marshall family. Somebody who could bring fresh, authentic food to Marshall students.”

Hagy said the biggest complaint that Sodexo had been receiving was on the quality of the food they provided and bringing in a local restaurant would go great lengths in improving this.

La Famiglia’s MSC location will feature a smaller menu, but it will still retain the quality of the original restaurant, including many ingredients being imported directly from Italy. The amount of food, as well as the cost, will be similar to other venues and products on Marshall’s campus.

“Everything will be sized and priced to the standard of the students,” Hagy said.

Steven McMillion, one of the cooks for La Famiglia and a former Marshall student, said one major benefit of the MSC location is cutting down how far students have to go from their dorms to experience quality, local food. He also said this may drum up interest in the original location as well.

“It would be a good opportunity for students to see that the [original location] is worth going to, even though it’s not a chain,” McMillion said.

La Famiglia will most likely be joined by other new additions such as Steak ’n Shake and Taco Bell Express in the MSC in August of 2019. Sodexo will also be implementing other changes in 2020, including a natural juice bar in the Marshall Rec Center and a revamping of the concession stands in the Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

Sam Phillips can be contacted at [email protected].