On June 1, Vanderbilt Campus Dining announced via Instagram that they would be ending walk-in dining at Rand on June 8.
Online meal deliveries will still continue, and orders can be placed through the GET app. Food will be delivered to two designated pickup locations: Highland Quad for students and Rand Hall for both faculty and staff.
Vanderbilt Campus Dining said in an email statement to The Hustler that they have had to continually modify on-campus operations due to changing conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As this summer period has progressed, we have found declining guest counts at Rand Hall, with fewer than 10 students visiting Rand each meal period – and many days only seeing a single student for breakfast,” the statement read. “In an effort to better utilize our limited resources, and to minimize food waste by focusing on made-to-order meals instead, we are making the decision to shift to pre-orders only starting Monday, June 8.”
Jazon Jiao, a recent graduate still living on campus, said that the suspension of walk-in dining made sense given the lack of students using the service. However, he added that it is sad to see it go.
“Walking to and from Rand takes about 25-30 minutes which is a great way to go outdoors and exercise,” Jiao said in an email to The Hustler.
The Vanderbilt Campus Dining Instagram posts menu options one day in advance via their Instagram Stories so that students can have an idea of what to order through the GET app.