A Taste of Adele’s

For Gen X and millennial Terps, these were hallmarks of Adele’s, the sit-down restaurant that operated for 25 years at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.

It quietly closed in 2018 and reopened in earnest last fall with a very different identity: Panera Bread. The UMD community has welcomed the popular fast-casual destination for breads, salads and a steaming bowl of broccoli cheddar soup.

But no longer can students pass through the Food Court for a white-tablecloth dining experience—or the opportunity to use up their Dining Points before the end of the semester on upscale Maryland cuisine.

 That, it turns out, was a big factor in the shuttering of Adele’s. After all-you-care-to-eat Anytime Dining debuted in Fall 2016, business at the restaurant plummeted.

There’s still a touch of Adele’s in Panera. Its initial ground-floor location had a fireplace that was original to the Stamp’s 1954 construction. That was moved during Adele’s 2002 relocation and remains in Panera, which is known for such cozy decor.

“We feel like we’re carrying on some of Adele’s traditions,” says now-retired Interim Director of Dining Services Joe Mullineaux.