Although several new dining locations and options were added for the 2024-2025 year, there are fewer dining options available on weekends, particularly Friday nights and Saturdays, compared to past years. These changes leave Commons Dining Center and Rand Dining Center as the primary dining options available to the student body on the weekends. 

In response to student feedback, Campus Dining announced on Instagram on Aug. 27 that dining locations in Sarratt — Rand, Commodore Pizza Kitchen, Wasabi and VandyBlenz — will be open on Saturdays. Local Java will also be open on Saturday mornings, and Rand will feature continuous service.

First-year Megan Wachtel expressed frustration with the limited weekend dining options. 

“If there’s no food here, where am I going to eat on weekends?” Wachtel said. “The lines at Commons are always long, they always serve the same things, are constantly running out of food and only have one or two options on the weekends.”

Sophomore Lawrence Li similarly noticed the reduced dining options.

“I’ve felt an overall decline in the quality of food, and I would like to know why that is, and if anything has changed from last year to this year,” Li said. “However, I’m incredibly grateful for all that dining does for students as well as the improvements they’ve already implemented to better accommodate the schedules of students.”

Wachtel also claimed that many of the main campus Munchie Marts are usually running low on food. 

“It’s nice that I can use swipes for sides to have snacks, but oftentimes a Munchie Mart’s worth of a meal swipe isn’t enough food for an actual meal,” Wachtel said.

First-year Madelon Gorman said she has seen a lack of efficiency in some of the dining halls, particularly Rand. 

“During lunch, Rand always fills up like crazy — there’s never anywhere to sit, and the lines to get food are always so long that I usually can’t get anything during the break I have between classes,” Gorman said. “I think an order-ahead app would be beneficial to help speed up the process.”

The university moved 2301, the allergen-free dining location, from Rand to the E. Bronson Ingram Dining Hall. Commodore Pizza Kitchen opened in the former location of 2301. VandyBlenz, a new option serving smoothies and açaí bowls, replaced the Rand Munchie Mart.

Sophomore Raylee Sipple articulated her disappointment in the new pizza kitchen, stating that she had expected it to be more than it was. 

“The Commodore Pizza Kitchen is very underwhelming. There’s only cheese and pepperoni, and it isn’t very friendly for those with dietary restrictions,” Sipple said.

Sophomore Hazel Ludwig expressed frustration with the rising costs of the university’s meal plan. The meal plan increased for each grade level, though most drastically for seniors, who are now required to purchase the same meal plan as sophomores and juniors. 

“I just don’t understand how they’re going to raise the cost of the meal plan but then cut the dining budget so much,” Ludwig said.

A Campus Dining representative addressed student concerns about reduced dining options and increased meal plan costs in a message to The Hustler. 

“These changes were informed by real-time feedback from students and an analysis of dining hall traffic patterns during the first few weeks of the semester, [and] our operating plan for 2024-25 was developed in an environment with rising labor and food costs,” Campus Dining said.

Regarding the long wait times at Rand, Campus Dining noted the proximity of Rand to other dining locations, particularly Carmichael Cafe and EBI, and encouraged the use of the Waitz app. 

“We encourage students to use the Waitz app, which provides real-time data on dining hall traffic, to help them navigate peak times and avoid long waits,” Campus Dining said.

Campus Dining also emphasized its dedication to hearing and addressing student feedback. 

“This approach ensures we provide a great dining experience that reflects the rich diversity of our undergraduate population,” Campus Dining said. “We are committed to listening to feedback and making adjustments as needed to enhance the overall dining experience.”