Campus Dining announced updates to meal plan options on Oct. 14 in response to student feedback, following changes to dining for the 2024-25 school year. These updates respond to requests for variety, healthier options and a commitment to sustainability, including the introduction of new dining stations and menu items across campus.
Swaadisht, a South Asian-inspired meal option available at the Stir Fry station, moved from Rand Dining Center to the Commons Center. The Kitchen at Kissam brought back its popular Poke Bowls as a Friday lunch special, in addition to adding gluten-free grains to the Chop Chop station. Rand reintroduced a Mediterranean station where Swaadisht used to be.
In a statement to The Hustler, Campus Dining said these changes were implemented in direct response to student feedback throughout the semester, including via Instagram polling.
“We hosted a Dining Advisory Board meeting in September and spoke to student representatives directly, and this meeting gave us greater insight into some key areas that needed our immediate attention,” Campus Dining said.
Sophomore Elle Techasiriwan expressed gratitude for Campus Dining’s interest in student feedback.
“I’m very glad to hear some of the old campus favorites are back! Many of my friends were especially enthusiastic about the Poke Bowls returning,” Techasiriwan said in a message to The Hustler.
Sophomore Justin He also said he is excited to see Campus Dining acknowledging student requests, particularly for the reintroduction of poke bowls at Kissam.
“Kissam poke bowls were always an OG item that I would get as a freshman or sophomore as a quick and delicious meal for lunch,” He said. “I only wish that they would offer poke for more than one day of the week. I’m glad that they have finally been able to bring back such a popular item, and they’re just as good as I remember them to be.”
Other notable upgrades include the return of the Gourmet Grille at Rothschild Dining Hall and the launch of new beverage options, including lemonade at Zeppos Dining Hall. Commodore Pizza Kitchen has also revamped its offerings to include personal, made-to-order pizzas, replacing the current premade slice option.
Campus Dining expressed a commitment to “providing a wide variety of cuisines” to accommodate dietary needs and student preferences.
“Moving Swaadisht to Commons not only allowed us to bring Mediterranean back to Rand as requested but also allowed us the opportunity to offer more variety to students at Commons, which was something first-year students highlighted as an area of opportunity,” Campus Dining said.
The addition of a smoothie station at E. Bronson Ingram Dining Hall replaced the previous fresh juice options with a variety of smoothie ingredients for students to choose from. VandyBlenz also expanded its smoothie offerings, introducing meal swipe-eligible power smoothies with the option to add protein powder.
“Many students shared that they missed the customizable smoothie option that used to exist in 2301,” Dining said. “At EBI, students can now order custom smoothies full of their favorite fruits and free of the Top 9 allergens.”
Sophomore Garid Mendbayar said the announcement of the smoothie station was the highlight of his week.
“I missed having the healthy smoothies that I could bring with me wherever I went,” Mendbayar said.
Mendbayar also said an integral part of his Rothschild experience last year was the Gourmet Grille. He said he was glad to see the grille return and expressed excitement about the latte options at cafes. Local Java, Café Carmichael and Common Grounds will now offer latte and espresso drinks at any size as meal plan options.
“Having the lattes in Carmichael and Local Java part of our meal plan means that it’s much more accessible for me to enjoy my favorite drink,” Mendbayar said.
Other updates include healthier menu choices — including more fish, steak and lean chicken breast — which will replace the use of chicken thigh meat. Dining said sustainability efforts are also being prioritized, with a shift from bamboo cutlery to compostable plastic for to-go meals and the use of silverware for dine-in service.
Junior Naw Wah Na Mu shared excitement for the new options and sustainability efforts.
“I love that they are bringing back the Mediterranean bowl at Rand and desserts at Roth,” Mu said. “But most importantly, I’m happy that they are transitioning to compostable plastic cutlery from bamboo cutlery.”
Junior Galen Wei shared a similar sentiment.
“Bamboo has gotten a lot of deserved flak, so I’m glad that dining is phasing it out in favor of compostable plastic,” Wei said.
