Students returning to Moscow next fall might find a few things different: no mask mandates, less Zoom and a major overhaul of campus dining.
As the contract with the former food vendor Sodexo was expiring after over two decades at the university, the University of Idaho selected Chartwells as their new dining partner.
With this vendor officially coming in, the new face of what was Vandal Dining is now Idaho Eats, and they plan to bring a variety of new food options to students.
The campus dining hall will now have a special focus on providing more options, changing what was formerly known as the Hub into the Eatery.
Hayley Bowring, the director of leadership development for the Residence Hall Association, said more options were a key factor in the decision to switch to Chartwells.
“We’ve had a lot of issues with Sodexo, especially with dietary needs,” Bowring said. “They weren’t really keeping up with the dietary needs of students.”
Bowring said particularly with restrictions for COVID-19, the Hub would frequently have only three stations open, all serving the same meals.
“So students would go basically to different lines and they’d get the same food,” Bowring said.
With the added issue of social distancing in the crowded dining hall, Hub-goers would often find long lines as a part of their dining experience.
Emma Casebolt, a former UI student associated with the RHA, said she had issues with the Hub because of her food allergies.
“Definitely they didn’t stick to their own standards,” Casebolt said. “It wasn’t as allergen-friendly as they would say they were.”
One food Casebolt said she was allergic to and had troubles with at the Hub was seafood, a fairly common allergen. While the Hub had an allergy-friendly station, it didn’t always accommodate, Casebolt said.
“Especially towards the end (of the contract with UI) when they would only have one or two stations open, they would all be seafood,” Casebolt said.
There were also complaints about the Hub’s food being poorly prepared, according to Bowring.
“I remember last year eating a burger that was half-cooked,” Bowring said.
The information page for campus dining states the new Eatery will have nine different stations, including Rooted, a station dedicated to vegan and vegetarian diets, and G8, a station serving food free of the top eight major allergens.
John Kosh, the marketing director for auxiliary services, said one of the factors that enticed UI to choose Chartwells over other vendors and was perhaps the largest physical change planned on campus, was the Foodery, an installation planned for next summer because of its great deal of construction.
According to Kosh, the Foodery’s floor plan will take the space of Einstein Bros. Bagels in the ISUB and the conference rooms on the other side of the wall, combining them to make a dine-in restaurant.
“It will bring that full meal experience,” Kosh said. “A sit-down place you can be with friends and family while at the ISUB.”
As for smaller-scale changes in the ISUB, it has also been announced Mein Bowl will be replaced by a new restaurant called True Burger, which Bowring said would serve burgers from Vandal Brand Meats.
The Grid in the ISUB will also be replaced, but by what is undetermined, Kosh said.
According to Kosh, a likely candidate is something similar to Vandal Express, a past location that was a small version of the Vandal Store in the ISUB.
Kosh said it wouldn’t have Nike jackets and autographed basketballs like the Vandal Store, but more grab-and-go items, just not quite as much as the Grid had.
The Grid in the LLCs will be replaced by the Market, a similar convenience store. Nearby, Joe’s Cheesy Grill and Papa John’s will become Pom and Honey and Cravings by Joe, serving Mediterranean fusion food.
Much more information about campus dining will come out later this summer, Kosh said, but current options can be found on the dining website.
The Argonaut will continue to report on campus dining as more information is released.
Cody Roberts can be reached [email protected] or on Twitter @CodyRobReports
Mary Baker
Do you know if they will still have any sushi?