The North and South Campus dining halls will have a fresh look by the fall.
The deli station in the South Campus Dining Hall will be completely disassembled and reorganized to mirror the deli on North Campus.
The North Campus Dining Hall’s setup allows students to move through the deli line more quickly as their sandwiches or wraps are passed from person to person, as opposed to one employee constructing the entire meal, said Dining Services spokesman Bart Hipple.
Freshman Daniel Tracey said he notices a discrepancy in the time it takes to get his meal depending on which dining hall he chooses.
“The north one moves a lot faster,” said Tracey, who is enrolled in letters and sciences. “And time is money.”
A vegan station will also open at the South Campus Dining Hall to better serve students’ wide array of dietary needs and preferences, Hipple said.
As a vegetarian living on South Campus, freshman Jack Cantilli said going all the way to the vegan station on North Campus is too far of a trek, so he ends up eating salads for almost every meal.
“It would be a big help because the options really are pretty bad for vegetarians. It’s doable but not very good,” said Cantilli, who is enrolled in letters and sciences. “More options would be better.”
Across McKeldin Mall at the North Campus Dining Hall, Hipple said, students can expect pizza quality to improve after a new pizza oven is installed. The New Yorker station, which now serves made-to-order salads at lunch and hot subs at night, will also change to feature a rotating menu and a wider range of options.
Dining Services is looking into remodeling the dining rooms after students at an April 1 Residence Hall Association Town Hall meeting complained about an unwelcoming environment. Many said they get their food to-go and eat in their dorm rooms to avoid eating in the dining halls.
“We’re working on a plan for updating the main dining room for South Campus Dining Hall,” Hipple said. “We’re brainstorming designs and looking for contractors.”
Sophomore Ryan Ho said he’d appreciate even more updates than the ones proposed.
“[They should] add a stir-fry station to the North Campus diner,” the animal sciences major said.
Hipple said students can send requests to umfood@umd.edu.
“That’s our current suggestion box,” he said.
Joe Pesce, associate director of Dining Services, encouraged students to take advantage of the open electronic communication and alert Dining Services about which areas need improvement.
“We sometimes look through old people eyes, you know,” Pesce said. “We need your help.”
RHA President Omer Kaufman said the Dining Services’ staff has always been willing to implement changes based on student suggestions and concerns, and he is confident the RHA will be able to work with them to continue making needed improvements.
“In my opinion, among the main issues that need to be addressed with the dining halls are space and atmosphere,” Kaufman said. “RHA will continue to advocate for fundamental changes to be made. These changes will not happen overnight, but I am confident in our ability to collaborate with Dining Services to improve the dining experience for each and every student.”
