Harrington Place Dining scored a 72 on its health inspection on Thursday.
There were 11 total violations cited against the cafeteria including a cockroach in the food allergy area, according to the inspection report.
Harrington Place Dining was also suspended from using its dishwasher until it meets health department regulations, which is why disposable plates and cutlery were provided soon after the inspection.
Some violations are weighted differently than others. The dishwasher violation caused a deduction of 25 points.
The Tennessee Department of Health online records for the dining hall date back to October 2020. Prior to the recent routine inspection score of 72, the dining hall averaged a 90 on routine inspections and an average 98.5 on follow-up inspections.
“I think it’s ridiculous how much money we pay in tuition and how they can’t maintain a clean caf. I find a lot of silverware with stains on it and leftover food,” Belmont sophomore Josh Petusky said.
Belmont addressed the issue and said it was “disappointed” in the issues uncovered in the inspection.
“While we appreciate the dining team’s quick attention to resolve the concerns that were raised, Belmont’s expectation is that we provide our campus community with a dining program that adds significant value to their campus experience,” the statement said.
“It’s definitely alarming considering we pay for meal plans. You wouldn’t get that score from a restaurant,” Belmont sophomore Teague Helton said.
In addition to students’ concerns about the food, Harrington’s dishwasher can’t be used until it is fixed and reinspected. The repair part has been ordered and was expected to arrive Tuesday, according to the university’s statement.
“Each of the things listed on there is pretty rough, but not having clean dishes is a serious long-term health issue,” Helton said.
As the caf is still open, the report has made some students not want to eat there until those issues are resolved.
“Up to this point, I always thought people liked to complain about the caf a little bit too much. After this report, it is alarming, and the dish machine especially is not sanitizing or cleaning the dishes and makes you not want to come eat here,” Belmont sophomore Reid Staubitz said.
To learn more about the specific violations, read the report.
To read Belmont’s full response and its intended plan of action, click here.
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This article was written by Cat Da Rocha