Utah Tech University students can look forward to a new addition to campus dining this spring — Cupbop.
Confirmed by Zach Gates, director of dining, the new restaurant is hoped to be ready in time for the spring 2026 semester in the Gardner Student Center. The new addition comes as part of the university’s ongoing efforts to bring more variety and recognizable restaurant chains to campus.
Student feedback has shaped the Trailblazer Café into what it is today, as many students expressed interest in more recognizable chains like Chick-fil-A.
“[We are] super excited to partner with Cupbop,” Gates said. “It will be another premier location that brings a new type of food on campus that we haven’t had in a long time. Variety is the one thing that students want, but it is hard to achieve that with the space we have.”
Cupbop is a fast casual restaurant that is known for its Korean barbecue bowls. They offer a range of ingredients such as rice, noodles and a choice of protein. You can customize your bowls to your liking, with sauces ranging from mild to spicy.
What began as a small food truck has grown into an international brand known for its bold flavors and quick service. Junghun Song, co-founder of Cupbop, said he always had a strong belief that Korean food has all the necessary ingredients to appeal to the world. He started the first Cupbop food truck in 2013, offering four main dishes and a variety of sauces ranging on a scale from sweet to the spiciest heat.
“I think Cupbop will be a great addition to campus, it’s a ‘healthier’ alternative to some of the fast food places we have here and provides some more diverse selections,” said Mason Dexter, a senior marketing major from Tooele.
Bonni Romaine, a junior population health major from La Quinta, California, said she is excited to see more options brought to campus. She said for future suggestions, she would bring Panda Express to campus because of the variety they serve.
Dining services continue to explore new ways to hear from the campus community. They plan to post QR codes around campus so students can provide dining suggestions for the future.
Beyond the new food options, dining services encourage students to get connected through the myUT app.
Gates said: “Dining has a feature on the myUT app where we send push notifications for deals that are occurring at all dining locations. All of the campus community should sign up for the notifications so they don’t miss out on our dining deals.”
Dexter said students are always looking for ways to save money, and being able to get deals on food would be something he and others would appreciate.
MyUT aims to help students stay informed about dining promotions that can go unnoticed. It also provides a direct way for dining services to reach the campus community about new food options like Cupbop.
You can find dining services on their social media where they post raffles, freebies, deals and more.
“I think that it is so awesome that Utah Tech offers deals and promotions for the dining hall options,” said Cicely Tate, a junior psychology major from Tooele. “I didn’t know about this [the promotions] until now, so adding more advertisements for this would be very beneficial for students to know about these great deals.”
