You’re on campus with an hour to kill before your next class. You traded breakfast for an extra 15 minutes of sleep, a decision you’re now regretting as your stomach rumbles louder and louder. You need food, but you’ve eaten at every restaurant near campus so many times that even the thought of a Chick-fil-A sandwich makes you shudder. It’s time for something new.

Coming to Dinkytown in late November is Avocadish, an all new avocado-themed restaurant focused on health and wellness.

One of ten new restaurants moving into the soon-to-open University Food Court at 330 15th Ave. SE, Avocadish will offer healthy and affordable options featuring – you guessed it – avocados.

With the exception of a few sides, every dish at Avocadish will incorporate the fruit in one way or another.

According to Avocadish’s business plan, the menu will feature a wide array of selections, from avocado toast and cheese melts to avocado smoothies and desserts, all of which are described as both “aesthetic and Instagrammable.” 

Lydé Heckroodt, executive chef at Avocadish, says the menu is all about experimenting with the fruit.

“It’s a creative take on the avocado with everything. Making sauces, desserts and smoothies [and] improvising in ways that we can really make full use of the avocado at every stage of ripeness,” she said.

Some students have raised concerns citing increasing avocado prices, wondering how they might affect menu prices at the restaurant. 

University of Minnesota student Itzel Fimbres said while she loves the green fruit, she fears high prices will keep her from visiting the restaurant. 

“I love avocados, and I love the fact that [they’re] mainstream, but I don’t know if I would actually go to this place to get avocados,” she said. “I think I make a mean guacamole.”

Others have voiced concerns regarding the location of the new restaurant, arguing other Minneapolis neighborhoods may be better suited for a restaurant like Avocadish.

For Alex Varouhas, a former University of Minnesota student and founder of Avocadish, choosing a location right next to the University was a no-brainer.

“The chance to open a restaurant across the street from the main gates of the University is an absolute dream for me,” he said.

While Varouhas may be a few years removed from the University, he has a plan to cater to his collegiate clientele.

In addition to the storefront being open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Avocadish will also operate a pop-up window in the mornings for students looking to grab a quick bite on their way to class. 

The pop-up window will also be in operation for late-night ordering on weekends, serving healthier options after a long night of going out.

“It’s about having food where you can feel like you’re indulging but not eating shitty,” said Varouhas in regards to the late-night menu, which will vary slightly from the regular daytime menu.

“I’m building something that I would’ve wanted when I was in Dinkytown,” he said.