By Sydney Herold
Correspondent
The Atrium at Eickhoff, the College’s on-campus dining hall, has introduced several menu changes this semester. The updates focus on the Vegan Loop, 91.3 Wokery and Roscoe’s Tacos, bringing new dishes and rotating cuisines to stations students use regularly.
At the Vegan Loop, the menu has shifted the station toward composed grain bowls with plant-based proteins. Instead of the protein and vegetable options offered last year, there are now new options including a red hummus chickpea bowl, a Latin potato bowl and a Mediterranean rainbow bowl in order to align with a new “Grown” concept. The dining team explained that the new approach is intended to provide more complete meal options while expanding the variety available at the station.
The 91.3 Wokery has also received a new “Showcase” concept. Its menu features dishes inspired by different cultures, including food items such as arepas and Thai curry. For students who eat at Eickhoff regularly, the change offers an opportunity to encounter foods that may not otherwise be part of the dining hall’s menu.
Sophomore students Lilla Porter, a mathematics major, and Mia Zicchinella, a political science major, both appreciate having more variety at the dining hall. “I like the showcase method because it diversifies the food we get to eat, especially since the dining hall can get repetitive after a while,” Zicchinella said.
Roscoe’s Tacos has taken a different approach with its new “Serranos” concept, a Mexican-inspired build–your-own bowl station. The menu is scheduled to change each month, with the Korean-inspired “BiBimBap” concept and Indian-inspired “Spice Market” concept planned for later in the semester.
“All the different options and cuisines is a really good idea,” Porter said. “It’s nice because it gives everyone some new foods to try that they might not have had otherwise, and introduces them to different cultures. It’s also nice because it switches up the usual foods that we eat so it isn’t as repetitive.”
The changes were led by Sodexo’s dining management team, including Resident Dining Manager Nelson Morales, General Manager of Resident Dining Danielle Blanco and Executive Chef Michael Knipp.
Da’Vaun Davis, the College’s associate director of the dining experience, also worked closely with the management team during this process.
Student input was a major consideration in deciding what to change. According to the dining team, feedback came from the “dining meal choice and movement” survey that students submitted, monthly Dining Service Committee meetings, and post-event surveys. Responses from MyDTXT, the College’s interactive text-message feedback system, was also used during this process.
“What we prioritize most on our dining initiatives is student feedback,” Field Marketing Specialist Faith Chang said. “We are always working to create the best dining experience possible for students and one way we do that is to continuously innovate and update our offerings based on student requests and feedback.”
That feedback has continued to shape the menu even after the new stations were introduced. Some items were removed to make room for the expanded offerings, including smoothies at the Vegan Loop. After students asked for them to return, Dining Services added smoothies back to the menu.
“It’s pretty cool that they listened to student feedback and made changes accordingly,” said Zicchinella.
The dining team’s approach also means that the items at The Atrium at Eickhoff will change throughout the semester. Roscoe’s Tacos will move through its planned international concepts, while the Vegan Loop and 91.3 Wokery continue their respective “Grown” and “Showcase” menus. Eating at the same stations repeatedly can make familiar options feel routine, which is part of why the new concepts emphasize changing dishes and cuisines.
With several new concepts and updates to the dining hall being introduced, students will have more variety in what they choose to eat throughout the semester. As the semester progresses, student feedback will continue to play a role in determining which offerings remain and which ones change.
