It’s safe to say the Johnson Center Dining Hall is an improvement from Belmont’s previous cafeteria: The complex seats more students, offers more dining options, features various themed seating sections and does this all while giving back to the planet. During the planning stages of the Johnson Center, supervisors, including Director of Dining Services Kyle Grover, were looking for a food recovery system. “We we’re looking for something that wouldn’t fill the waste stream. We

Despite being new, the cafeteria on campus has been working through a major issue— and it isn’t about the food at all. Dining Services has been working to fill over 40 empty positions with qualified applicants since the beginning of this semester, General Manager Kyle Grover said. However, it was not possible to hire enough people to staff the cafeteria before it began operation. The result is an employee shortage, causing food stations to close during slow traffic times, as

For the first time in Belmont’s history, meal plans will be mandatory for all students living in on-campus apartments to compensate for the costs for the new dining facility. “It does mean that it is more expensive to live on campus. Some people will not like that. We’re not oblivious to that,” said Anthony Donovan, director of Residence Life. “But we’re also trying to create a situation in which we can offer the best level of services to the students that are here and live o

Buried beneath dust and debris of construction, the cafeteria in Belmont’s new $90 million building seeks to redefine university dining by offering more of what students want and need. Set to be completed in June, the new dining space will offer more diverse food options to around 1,000 students at a time– up from the 400-student capacity of the current cafeteria in the Gabhart Student Center. Several themed dining rooms–including urban and steakhouse rooms–, a private dining

Colleges may be put on notice by a Department of Justice ruling that will require special accommodations for students with severe food allergies. The decision came after some students at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., protested that their food services and meal plans didn’t meet their dietary needs. When the dust settled, the Justice Department ruled that severe food allergies classify as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Lesley was fined $50,000

As Belmont’s student population has grown during the past few years, space in many campus hotspots, including the cafeteria, has become harder to find. While university officials are discussing plans for to build a new cafeteria, the current cafeteria’s staff has orchestrated systems to try to ensure that dining procedures go smoothly. “The most important thing is to find out how efficient we can be,” said Kyle Grover, director of dining services. “Four years ago, we fed 500