A small but enthusiastic crowd was in attendance for the official ribbon cutting ceremonies for the new Panther Pantry on Wednesday in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union..

Shirley Stewart, acting vice president for student affairs said the renovations lessens traffic in the shop and offers more convenience for students and staff.

The Lobby Shop was closed, along with Coffee Express, on Oct. 30 for renovations and reopened for business last week, but Wednesday students and faculty gathered for refreshments and the official ceremony.

Cathy Engelkes, assistant director of the Union, thinks the new options will help to attract students to come in more often, making the changes well worth it.

Christy Legner, a freshman chemistry major, said the new store will be a big convenience for her.

“It seemed every time I came here I would get stuck in line, and I was really in a rush to begin with so eventually I stopped coming,” Legner said. “Hopefully that won’t be a problem any longer.”

Along with increased convenience, the new Panther Pantry offers more selection. It has a larger selection of merchandise, including soups, fountain pop and grab-n-go items.

The store will also offer a 48-hour dry cleaning service and photo developing. Students can drop off their clothes or pictures at the counter and pick them up a few days later.