arrow down
CNO Adm. Daryl Caudle visited Naval Base Kitsap–Bangor this past June for a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Warrior Eatery. The first of its kind, Warrior Eatery serves as a new gathering place at Bangor. The eatery is a complete refresh of the space that previously housed Inside Out Café and now features six new culinary brands. Diners can select from Better Burger & Fries, Uptown Pizza & Wings, Bombers Fresh Mex, Gourmet Bean for coffee and espresso, Blendz for fresh smoothies, and salads and grab-and-go options from Fresh Choices.
For a group of Sailors who were among the first diners after the ceremony, Warrior Eatery is a welcome addition to the base, offering exciting variety and easy accessibility.
“I think this is a really great idea [and] concept with having multiple food choices,” STSA Piatek said. Piatek added the ability to use meal entitlement dollars makes the Warrior Eatery especially beneficial for Sailors. “[That] helps a lot of Sailors kick the curve of having go to out of town and spend big bucks to eat a burger when you can get a good-looking burger here for half the price.”
As the pilot for CNO Adm. Daryl Caudle's "Sailor First" initiative to improve the Navy's shore food services, Warrior Eatery is designed to bring healthy food options to Sailors in support of holistic well-being and improved warfighter readiness.
"When I started as the CNO I realized a very important part of quality of service, and by extension quality of life, is the nutrition aspect of how we feed our people," Adm. Caudle said. "And if you go to any place from a college to a professional team, they have some kind of feeding structure there that actually feeds them the way they ought to be fed. So why would I want anything less for our warriors – our Sailors," Adm. Caudle added.
Warrior Eatery provides another dining option on base for service members whose schedules may not align with Trident Inn Galley meal times.
“[Service members] can come throughout the day and grab something on the go, get a snack, or whatever's feasible for their time slot,” project stakeholder MWR Business Activities Director Chad Davis said. “Because everything in the military is so dynamic that not everybody gets the same meal times.”
To help simplify healthy choices, menu options include green, yellow and red gauges signifying premium, moderate and performance-limiting items, giving Sailors a framework for selecting their best nutrition options. Additionally, a touchscreen kiosk includes a thorough nutritional breakdown and is updated weekly with suggested meal options targeting specific health goals.
“We’re trying to limit down decision fatigue with our [kiosks], where they can choose and decide what they're working toward – muscle-building, staying sharp,” NRNW Fleet Readiness Director Paul Rosarius said. “Before they even get in line, the intent is encourage them to then pick a healthier option.”
With the new option for Sailors to use their meal entitlement beyond the galley, CNIC Fleet Readiness Director Lisa Sexauer, a project stakeholder and advocate for NBK's selection as the Warrior Eatery pilot, noted the importance of prioritizing healthy options and making them easy to identify.
“At the end of the day, you don't have to be perfect,” Sexauer said. “And so that's kind of what we're pushing. … We do want the healthier choices to be easy to choose. We just want to give them the knowledge and the power to make the best choice they can.”
Naval Base Kitsap is honored to have been selected as the pilot installation for this new dining and nutrition initiative. Warrior Eatery is more than a transformation project—it provides service members with a place to relax, unwind and choose the best food options to support their health and readiness.
