Food truck fans can rejoice, as campus’ favorite food truck, The Plate, is opening a new restaurant right across the street from the university.

The Side Plate will open beneath the Atwood apartments at 1 Atwood Pl., in the space formerly occupied by Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes.

The Side Plate will function as a healthy option for customers, specializing in fruit and poké bowls, smoothies, salads and wraps. Their menu includes their own carefully crafted concoctions, as well as “build-your-own” capabilities. For those looking to indulge, cheat-day delicacies like fried Oreos will also be available.

“It just made sense to offer healthy options,” long-time executive chef Ryan Trevethan said. “Of course [students] like the pizza and the burgers, but many of them gravitate toward healthier eating.”

The Plate was created in 2015 by Trevethan in an attempt to create a more health-conscious dining experience, while still embracing the ever-popular “fast-casual” style of restaurant like Shake Shack or Chipotle.

In 2020, at about the same time the university chose to bring in food trucks as another dining option for students at the height of the pandemic, Trevethan saw an opportunity to bring food to those who were more uneasy about indoor dining. With a standing reputation already established between his truck and the university population, no other location made quite as much sense for The Side Plate.

There are currently plans in place to allow students to use their university ID cards to spend dining dollars and food truck swipes at The Side Plate, and The Plate’s food truck will continue to visit the university.

Trevethan already has plans to tap into the university community as a source of employees, saying, “We do have some [University of New Haven] students that live [in the Atwood apartments] that work for us,” and cited the popularity of the open house they held for the restaurant last summer.

The Side Plate will be open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.