UPDATED: Campus Dining makes changes for finals week and Fall 2021

Dining hours and options will be limited beginning May 1, while Munchie Mart operations will remain largely the same for Fall 2021.

Sophia She

Kissam Munchie Mart, as photographed on May 13, 2020. (Hustler Multimedia/Sophia She)

April 29, 2021

UPDATED: This story has been updated to reflect additional dining changes and new in-person ordering options for the end of the semester.

Campus Dining announced numerous changes to dining operations for the remainder of the semester and quelled rumors of drastic changes to come for Munchie Marts in Fall 2021.

These changes come after Vanderbilt was voted sixth-best campus food in the 2021 edition of The Princeton Review College Rankings. This ranking is based on students’ answers to a survey question rating the campus food, per The Princeton Review’s website.

“We tallied the rankings lists based on the data from our surveys of 143,000 students at the 386 schools in the book,” the website read. “Schools that make it onto our top 20 lists are those at which the surveyed students (as a group) indicated a very high consensus of opinion about that topic.”

Limited Dining Options Beginning May 1

April 30 marks the final date that students can order food from residential dining halls, Suzie’s Cafe and Grins Vegetarian Cafe using the GET app, per a post on Campus Dining’s Instagram account. 2301 Express, Holy Smokes and Local Java will still be available on the GET app. Stations that are usually only accessible via the GET app, such as Randwiches, Pasta Fix and Mongolian Grill, will be available in their respective dining halls upon arrival.

Effective May 10, dining halls will adjust to modified hours. On May 11, Spring 2021 meal plans will end, and on May 12, Munchie Marts will close at noon. All dining halls will be closed as of May 15.

Additionally, as part of an effort to reduce the university’s dining inventory, Campus Dining is running an end-of-semester promotion on their Instagram. Campus Dining will be selling cases of Bubly, Aquafina and Dole Lemonade 50 percent off. The cases can be purchased on the GET app with Meal Money or Commodore Cash, while supplies last.

In an email to The Hustler, Campus Dining mentioned more changes to come at the end of the semester.

“Expect to see more in the coming weeks as our on-campus population decreases. Changes to our operations, as with all Campus Dining updates, will be communicated via our Instagram account and our DiningNews text alert system [text DiningNews to 55744],” the message read.

May 11

Commons: regular hours

Rand: regular hours

Highland Munchie Mart: 7:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Branscomb Munchie Mart: 7:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Common Munchie Mart: 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Kissam Munchie Mart: 7:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

All other locations will be closed

May 12

Rand: 8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Highland Munchie Mart: 8:00 a.m.-noon

Branscomb Munchie Mart: 8:00 a.m.-noon

Common Munchie Mart: 8:00 a.m.-noon

Kissam Munchie: 8:00 a.m.-noon

All other locations will be closed

May 13

Rand: 8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

All other locations not mentioned will be closed

May 14

Rand: 8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

All other locations will be closed

May 15

All locations will be closed

Fall 2021 Dining Changes

Campus Dining denied claims that Munchie Marts would no longer be offering frozen foods and popular snacks in Fall 2021. All items will be available with Meal Money and Commodore Cash, as in the past.

“We will continue to offer a variety of healthy, fresh meal options (with an assortment of side items and beverages) that students can redeem with a meal swipe… [and] a broad assortment of candy, snacks, shelf-stable and frozen prepared meals, toiletries, sundries and other convenience items,” a representative from Campus Dining said in an email to The Hustler.

Junior Rayna Easley said that a Munchie Mart worker mentioned the rumored changes to her.

“One of the dining staff[ers] [said] that they are reducing the offerings in Munchie Marts next year (specifically frozen meals, candy, soda, etc.) to encourage students to get meals from the dining halls because buying the food for dining halls in bulk is (allegedly) cheaper than stocking the Munchie Marts,” Easley said.

Campus Dining mentioned that Munchie Mart may undergo slight changes in Fall 2021 based on student feedback.

“The Campus Dining team held the Menu Maker Taste Test event last fall and we expect to use similar feedback to help guide our fall 2021 planning,” the representative said. “Over the summer, our team will be taking a thoughtful look at the specific menu items available and make minor adjustments, as needed, to ensure our students continue to have healthy and delicious options. There will be a couple of new concepts as well as old popular favorites being brought back!”

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About the Contributors

Brendan O'Reilly, Former Staff Writer

Brendan O'Reilly ('24) is a student in the College of Arts and Science studying economics and computer science. You can reach him at [email protected].

Rachael Perrotta, Senior Advisor

Rachael Perrotta ('24) is from Cranston, R.I., and is majoring in cognitive studies, communication of science and technology and political science in Peabody College. She was previously Editor-in-Chief and News Editor. If she's not pressing you for a comment, she's probably trying to convince you that she's over 5 feet tall, cheering on the Red Sox or wishing Nashville had a beach. She can be reached at [email protected].

Comments (3)

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vandy2022

2 years ago

I have been informed that both of the writers of this article are part of the class of 2024. I believe it was incredibly irresponsible of the Hustler to allow ‘24s to write this article when they have no concept of dining prior to this year and have no understanding of how detrimental this year’s changes have been.

This is not a very well written article. “All items will be available with Meal Money and Commodore Cash, as in the past” what do you mean as in the past? Do you mean just this particular school year? In previous years most/all of munchie mart inventory could have been purchased with meal swipes. This article should have clarified if changes this year will become permanent, and possibly also should have sought to clarify why these changes are becoming permanent despite student outcry.

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Bring Back Munchies!

Reply to vandy2022

I think it is like this not because the authors were unclear, but because Campus Dining is being deliberately vague. Campus Dining is purposefully mysterious with their wording so that we don’t have enough to be directly outraged until school starts again, and then we don’t have enough time to make a change!