New Dining Experience at Southern Virginia University
By Dayna Miller
COVID-19 hasn’t stopped Southern Virginia University from making new improvements to the school. This past year, the Auxiliary Services team surveyed and listened to students to determine what they really wanted in their dining experience. After a summer of renovations and upgrades, Southern Virginia has five new restaurant “concepts” on campus, featuring cuisines the dining services team claims will “satisfy any craving.”
Cassy Miller (‘24), a student with an all-access meal plan on campus says, “I love that the [Food Court] has multiple options for those who are looking for something new to eat everyday. I don’t get bored of going to the cafeteria each day, since there’s always something different than the day before.”
The new additions to the dining services include the Food Court, located where the Dining Hall was in years past, that houses three of the concepts: Mexican-style grill Dorado, Homestyle Cooking, and World Cuisine (international dishes). In the Kimball Center are two additional concepts: Hilltop Market, with grab-and-go fresh items, and The Garden Place, a salad bar.
The dining options on campus have had a few additions over the years, starting with Jonezzey’s, a small pop-up cafe with sandwiches and smoothies, then transitioning into the Market Place and Dorado restaurants in 2018.
Aly Dransfield, the Food Court Manager, has seen the changes of the Dining Services, as she has been a part of the department for the past four years.
“It’s really cool to be a part of a school that is continuously changing and progressing,” Dransfield says. “We started with asking the students what they wanted. A big response to that question was just more options.”
Additional options were not the only changes made to the new Food Court over the summer. The staff also made accommodations for the University’s new Healthy Campus Plan. To abide by the masking and social distancing policies, the new food concepts include separators to direct the flow of traffic, making lines one way only.
They also include decals on the floors to indicate where to stand six feet apart. Masks are required, and inside tables are spread out — only allowing enough seating for one person per table.
“A struggle for me has been not being able to eat with my friends… there hasn’t really been a lot of places to sit and eat,” says Halle Macpherson (‘24). “I really like how conscious they’ve been with COVID-19 and how they have hand sanitizer everywhere, certain places you can stand, and places you can enter and exit. It’s super easy and not confusing at all. My personal favorite is Dorado!”
In addition, the dining staff are trained in the highest quality food handling techniques and guidelines, according to Joe Whetstone, Director of Auxiliary Services. Staff sanitize as often as possible, wear masks, and limit the number of people in the building.
Dransfield says, “We have made it so people can come, eat, and be safe.”
Throughout an increase of choices and application of safety guidelines, Students and staff alike have appreciated the new dining experience at Southern Virginia University.
Student Devon Riddle (’22) noted, “I’m mostly just glad we are here at all.”
