Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

On Friday nights, Syracuse University sophomore Max Vidakovic and his friends make the trek from their dorms to the Inn Complete — a renovated ski lodge-turned-restaurant on South Campus. For the group, it’s become a weekly ritual.

“It’s like, the best food you can get for your meal plan,” Vidakovic said. “I like how open it is as well. It’s a ski lodge. It hits the vibe really well.”

The Inn Complete offers something rare to South Campus residents: a place to gather outside of their rooms and dining halls. It is open to the public Thursday and Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., but students are able to use dining dollars and meal swipes to pay. The venue features pool tables, foosball and soft seating throughout, with plans to add cornhole and ladder ball to outdoor spaces this spring.

Bryan Hammond, SU’s executive chef of catering, led a renovation project, which was completed in 2024. The project aimed to make the space more “comfortable” for visitors, including installing air conditioning and putting in a full kitchen. He said the space addresses a critical need for South Campus students, particularly graduate students who live there farther from the social hubs on Main Campus.

“I can remember being in college. I can remember getting to my dorm room and feeling alone, separate, right? And that’s tough,” Hammond said. “There’s a lot of people that are looking for something that isn’t exactly home, but can be home as well. And that’s the third space mentality.”

The building has endured many lives since its construction in the 1900s. It served as SU’s former College of Agriculture before becoming an actual ski lodge in the late 1940s, complete with a bunny hill on the slope next to the building. It first opened as the Inn Complete restaurant in 1987.

Run by Syracuse University’s catering department, The Inn Complete allows students to pay with meal swipes or dining dollars. The menu includes pub fare like chicken wings, flatbreads and burgers, including vegan and vegetarian options. Taite Paradise | Staff Photographer

The space closed during COVID-19 pandemic and remained shuttered for several years before opening for students in 2023. Major renovations began in summer 2022 and were completed in fall 2024, with the restaurant component reopening shortly after.

But the design team resisted modernizing away the building’s old character. Hammond said he wanted to preserve the worn wood that gives the space its ski lodge feel. He said he deliberately designed the experience around “hygge,” a Danish concept emphasizing coziness and togetherness.

“I could paint all the walls white, and I could make it look clean and sterile,” Hammond said. “It would be cool and modern for five years, but we don’t need to touch too much of this wood and these worn pillars. I even like the scuff marks on them a little bit. It shows that they’ve lived a good life.”

The decision to preserve the building’s original charm resonated with alumni during the first post-renovation alumni weekend. Hammond said graduates who hadn’t visited in 20 or 30 years recognized the space immediately and shared memories of eating there as students.

The Inn Complete also draws a crowd beyond students. Last Thursday night, university staff and neighborhood families filled the space. Their children played Dungeons & Dragons upstairs while adults caught up over dinner.

Beth Myers, SU associate professor, dined with a group of faculty, staff and neighbors. She said the Inn Complete is one of only a few places in Syracuse that can accommodate families, and children can move freely without parents feeling out of place. The fact that it is on campus is extremely convenient, she said.

“You can see we don’t have to be with our kids right now. They’re happy being around with their friends,” Myers said. “Not every social space can accommodate that, where kids don’t have to sit still, they can be a little noisy, and it’s okay. Sometimes we’re here for hours.”

The Inn Complete, a South Campus restaurant, is open to the public. The restaurant sits in an old ski lodge and completed renovations in 2024. Taite Paradise | Staff Photographer

The Inn Complete operates as part of Syracuse’s catering department, which presents some constraints. The space is frequently booked for university events and retirement parties during the week.

They hope to expand their hours, but the option depends on student engagement, Hammond said. The location makes most large catering orders, so demonstrating consistent student demand is essential for justifying more open nights. Stephanie Gould, director of catering, said the goal is to expand to three or four nights a week by fall 2026.

“The number one best way to get this building open more for the students is to have the students come and use the space, because it’ll produce a demand for it,” Hammond said. “I want to be open nine and a half days a week, because I think this is a cool restaurant.”

For students, the Inn Complete offers an affordable gathering space without leaving South Campus. Vidakovic said using meal swipes or dining dollars makes it accessible even when money is tight. He can also pay for friends who live off campus using guest swipes.

Bailey Apter, an SU sophomore who visits weekly with friends, praised the food quality compared to dining halls. The group’s regular orders include flatbreads, burgers and churro sundaes. She enjoys the restaurant experience, including sit-down service and real plates.

“It’s just different from our average dining hall food, and it’s better to come once a week and have some good food,” Apter said. “I like that they have a pool table and hang out area up there, and it’s a good space to hang out with friends.”

The menu features pub fare like chicken wings, flatbreads and burgers, with vegan and vegetarian options. Dishes like tikka masala wings are a deliberate nod to the university’s diverse student population, Hammond said. The restaurant is also exploring affordability initiatives like dollar wing nights.

Gould said the space offers South Campus students something essential: a place that feels like home without being home.

“We’re not rushing anyone out of here,” Gould said. “If you want to sit and eat and then go play pool, we want you to do that.”

Published on January 26, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Contact Caroline: cberskin@syr.edu