Beyonce’s “Lemonade” transformed from album to dining experience

The Daily Illini

Close Sam Schrage, Staff writerMarch 9, 2017Filed under Life & Culture, Top Stories“Y’all Haters Corny Muffins with Texas Bama Butter” and “Paparazzi, Catch My Fly and My Cocky Crawfish Étouffée,” aren’t on a traditional creole menu, but they’re standard dishes at Savia Gordon’s “Lemonade” themed dining event.
“Beyoncé’s Lemonade: The Dining Experience” will take place from 5 – 7 p.m. on Friday at the student-run Spice Box restaurant in Bevier Hall. The dinner is part of Gordon’s senior capstone project for Spice Box and will serve 155 people. The dishes will specialize in creole food — a spicy type of food originating in Louisiana.
Gordon, senior in ACES, said what sets her capstone project apart from her peers’ projects is its theme. Not only are the menu items inspired by Beyoncé’s album, but the decorations and interactive dining experience are as well. Each window sill will incorporate a different theme from Beyoncé’s visual album, allowing attendees to experience every aspect of the album.

“When I was picking a theme, I didn’t want it to just be over a cultural food,” Gordon said. “I got the idea from my internship at the Illini Union Hotel when I was shadowing one of the employees for the day. Once I began brainstorming ideas for the menu and decorations that were inspired from her music videos, it all tied together.”
“Lemonade” does not just showcase Beyoncé’s music, it also represents her as a fierce and bold role model.
“I think the theme is really unique and fun,” Jamie Elekman, senior in ACES, wrote in an email. “Most of our meals are places or genres of food, so it is refreshing to have someone do a meal about an album and very iconic singer-songwriter. Beyoncé is a role model who is very bold, and her album accents her character.”
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