New Food on Campus | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University’s dining services have changed drastically over the summer. Here is what to know about dining on campus for the upcoming fall semester.
QUEST
The changes are largely a result of Wright State having a contract with a new provider. The provider, QUEST, will have a representative consistently on campus for the fall semester. The representative, Juan Zuniga, is the Vice President of Culinary Food Management at QUEST.
Zuniga says that QUEST plans to emphasize food quality.
Student Union changes
The Union Market is no longer a collection of restaurants but is now an “All You Care To Eat” buffet.
The buffet has cereal, soft serve ice cream, a make-your-own burger station, pizza, a waffle-making station, a deli sandwich station, a large dessert selection, a salad bar and an “action station,” which operates on a three-week schedule with lunch and dinner each being a different meal. There are also other options for dietary restrictions and culinary diversity, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, international, halal and dairy-free options.
The Union Market is now open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The Student Union will also have two new restaurants: Pour and Sushi Boss. Pour is a cafe that serves coffee and tea drinks, grab-and-go foods, pastries, hot sandwiches and soups.
Pour’s hours are as follows: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Changes to The Hangar
The Hangar will now be home to “Burger Barn,” and it will sell smash burgers. The Hangar will also have Asada, a Chipotle-style restaurant. Bite and a salad bar will also be located inside the Hangar.
The Hangar will now offer a late-night meal option as well. The Hangar will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Burger Barn reopening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The seating area will be open in between the two meal times to allow study space for students.
Why did everything change?
According to Matt Grushon, Director of Procurement and Contract Services, these major changes are a result of the 10-year contract that the university had with Chartwells ending. When that contract came to a close, Wright State allowed other companies to bid; the companies could bid to serve the academic campuses, the Nutter Center, or both. Grushon explained that QUEST chose to serve the academic campuses, and another provider, Savor, elected to serve the Nutter Center.
What is the significance of the changes?
There will be a noticeable change for students, staff and employees alike. Students and staff will witness a faster and easier way to get food during meal times as well as extended hours.
Erin Wright, an employee with Wright State’s dining services for the past 5 years, believes that students will no longer feel like they are losing money, nor will there be as much of a “margin for error” as there was when all food was made to order.
What is next?
Grushon and Jennifer Gebhart, Associate Director of Auxiliary Services, urge students to provide feedback about the new services. There will be QR codes placed around campus periodically for students and staff to provide that feedback.
“[We are] willing to do what students want and what’s best for the university, but we need students to show us what they really want,” Grushon said.
