How Duke does dining

Dining at Duke has changed in the last year. A lot.

Most of these changes are a consequence of the current West Union renovations. Some changes, such as Armadillo Grill’s decision not to submit a new contract for their space in the Bryan Center, are the result of third party decisions that have come at an inopportune time. Whatever the cause, the result is obvious: Dining options for students have been reduced.

If you talk to students about dining in general, the reaction to these changes is mostly negative; just look at online comments on Chronicle articles or posts on the “Fix My Campus” Facebook page. Students are upset about the reduction in options. Students are upset about the differences between the Great Hall and the Penn Pavilion. Students are upset about the absence of the Armadillo Grill in the Bryan Center. While these dissatisfactions are justified, I would like to suggest taking a different approach to evaluating dining at Duke. Instead of focusing on what has changed since last year, we should try to refocus the discussion about dining on what our current options are and how we can realistically get the most out of those options.

Consider the differences in dining options between Duke and peer institutions in the local area. Duke has an enrollment of fewer than 15,000 students—with less than half of those students being undergraduates—yet houses 28 distinct vendors. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as a point of comparison, enrolls roughly 30,000 students—with well over half of those students being undergraduates—and only contains 21 distinct vendors. North Carolina State University similarly has 35,000 students and only 19 unique vendors. For the size of its student body, especially the limited size of the undergraduate student body, Duke has a surprisingly large number of independent vendors on campus.

In addition to these on campus vendors, Duke has developed a strong relationship with a number of local Durham vendors. Duke Dining recently expanded the size of the Merchants on Points delivery program to 17 vendors and the Food Truck program to include seven trucks with increased hours on campus. These options, which many students rarely take advantage of, combine to give us the opportunity to eat food from a different restaurant for 52 meals in a row without repeating a single vendor. For a university of our size, this diversity of dining options is incredible.

Even with this level of dining options at Duke, I do believe that there is a need to constantly strive for the best dining possible at Duke. This drive to become the best was behind the decision to renovate the West Union, which will create an entirely new level of food variety and quality at Duke. This drive was behind the increased presence of external vendors at Duke, with the increased number of Food Trucks and Merchants on Points as well as the recent decision to add Food Trucks during lunch. This drive was behind the renovation of the Bryan Center, with the beneficial additions of Red Mango, Au Bon Pain and The Loop.

With more changes on the horizon—most notably the upcoming closure of the Bryan Center Plaza—it is important to think of realistic ways in which we can continue to improve upon our current dining options. Student representatives from Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee and DSG are constantly working with administrators and vendors to make dining at Duke the best it can possibly be. During my four years working with DUSDAC, I have noticed a common trend: Whenever I meet with an administrator from Duke Dining or the operator of an on campus restaurant, the most common request I hear is for more student feedback.

I would like to end this article with a simple call to action: Share your opinion. Fill out an online comment card, leave a comment on the “Fix My Campus” Facebook page or fill out the annual dining survey. But instead of focusing on the negatives or what you may not like about dining this year, suggest options for realistic and immediate improvement. While Duke cannot easily build a new building to house new restaurants, it can make certain changes to our existing vendors. Duke Dining has already made a number of changes this year in response to student suggestions, and it will continue to do so—as long as students continue making suggestions.