Coming Soon: a Different Dutch Hollow

Coming+Soon%3A+a+Different+Dutch+Hollow

Samantha Kruzshak

Beginning the day after residence halls close for Winter break on November 21, the first floor of the Reamer Campus Center is planned to undergo a number of major renovations that will add three novel dining options and several new services to Dutch Hollow dining. Dining Services intends for all of these renovations to be completed and fully-operative by the first day of Winter Term 2019 on January 7.

A pizza shop, soon to be named through a student-involved naming contest, is set to be one of these renovations. This pizza shop will replace the current dining option ‘O3,’ which is located at the back of Reamer’s first floor, to the right of the ‘pit.’

The pizza dining option will also include sandwiches such as chicken parmesan and Italian sausage sandwiches, and will include gluten-free and vegetarian options to accommodate different dietary restrictions. Students will be able to use a meal swipe to purchase a full meal, which may consist of 1-2 pizza slices, one drink and one side, such as a cookie or a salad.

Besides providing pizza and other traditional Italian-restaurant food options, a second overall goal for the pizza shop is pizza delivery, specifically late-night pizza delivery. This on-campus service will be made possible by the app “Get Food,” which students will soon be able to download onto their smartphones. Pizza delivery will not accept cash, but will accept declining and credit cards. According to Campus Executive Chef Patrick Longton, dining services has already hired employees to fulfill pizza-delivering duties, but is also looking to “re-ignite the student worker program” by potentially hiring work-study students. Pizza delivery dates will most likely be Wednesday to Sunday, with the hours of operation to be determined.

After a dining services survey sent out last year, Director of Campus Engagement Donna Reichel and Longton recognized that the results showed a massive push by students for pizza to be brought back to Dutch Hollow. “We take feedback from all of you. What we hear from students really precipitate changes on campus,” stated Reichel.

A second major change to Dutch Hollow will be a ‘Local Deli’ option, which will take ‘U-shi’s’ location next to the student mailboxes. “The emphasis will be completely on local,” says Longton about his plans for the deli. Longton described a menu of locally-sourced, artisan choices, involving signature sandwiches and a signature house-made roll that will be “something that no one else has.”

Despite moving locations, U-shi will still be produced on-campus and sold on a daily basis. This sushi will be found in the third major renovation: a new convenience store. This store will be located to the left of the ‘pit,’ which exists currently as a lounge-space with chairs and a fireplace. “Students are busy and don’t always have time to wait in line,” says Longton. Therefore, the convenience store will provide a large variety of grab n’ go meal selections, from fully-composed warm and cold meals to more ‘raw’ meal sets for people who have kitchens. The convenience store will also provide a selection of fresh produce.

Soft serve ice cream will also be incorporated into the new convenience store. This was another dining option that was strongly pushed for by the student body during last year’s survey. “We wanted to bring back the things they loved,” commented Reichel.

Reichel identifies the major drive behind these changes as student feedback. “These changes are important because they reflect the fact that we are constantly listening to the students. We take your feedback very seriously, and when we can, we act on it,” stated Reichel.

Longton also feels that Dutch Hollow is underutilized. “It seems like all the kids want to go to Dutch. There is more of an emphasis on declining balance.” Longton emphasized how the concept of the ‘student experience’ was another motivation behind renovating students’ main eating and social space. “President Harris is focusing on the student experience here. That is very important to us too. We love food because that is what we do. It is all about improving the whole overall experience for the students.”