Mark your calendar! Cashew chicken returns to University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center
After a long pandemic break, hot, steamy cashew chicken — plus that soup and salad bar — is returning to the University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center this week.
University Plaza announced that its cashew chicken and fried rice meals are making a comeback on Wednesday, along with Crab Rangoon, egg rolls, two soups, a salad bar and dessert bars.
Cashew chicken is a nearly 40-year-old tradition at University Plaza. Executive Chief Kelly Downs said the hotel and convention center have served cashew chicken and fried rice for Wednesday lunches since opening in 1984. Due to the pandemic, however, University Plaza put a halt on serving public lunches in March 2020.
Downs, who joined the University Plaza team in July 2022, said she is looking forward to reviving a Springfield tradition.
"I'm from Wisconsin, so Springfield cashew chicken is a whole new thing to me ... Personally, I'm really excited to see it come back because so many people have been asking," Downs said.
She added that it has been difficult for her to walk around the hotel and convention center without being stopped by guests asking when cashew chicken Wednesdays will return.
Jeff Roberts, managing director at FORVIS, located across the street from University Plaza, said he is one of many who are excited about lunch being offered again at the hotel and convention center. His favorite is the sweet and sour chicken.
Prior to the pandemic, Roberts visited University Plaza about once a month for lunch, often with a group of colleagues.
"Sometimes we'd joke and say it was FORVIS' second lunchroom because there'd be so many of us over there," Roberts said.
He added there was a "big difference" in foot traffic entering the hotel on cashew chicken days, compared to any other day of the week. Roberts said he would rank University Plaza's sweet and sour chicken specifically No. 2 or 3 of his favorites in Springfield.
Prior to the pandemic, University Plaza served lunch everyday of the week. To start out, the hotel and convention center will only be serving cashew chicken lunches on Wednesday.
University Plaza will be open for lunch, serving cashew chicken, every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The entrée, salad bard and drink are $15. University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center is located at 333 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Cashew chicken, soup and salad bar return to University Plaza Hotel
