Dining changes produce varied reactions

By JACQUI NEBER

The University has made many changes this year to its dining programs at Nolan’s on 33rd (Nolan’s), Fresh Food Cafe (FFC) and Charles Street Market (CharMar) in order to increase variety and convenience for students across campus.

Nolan’s has undergone perhaps the most changes, with new food stations added along with an expanded variety of meals available at each station.

Two new stations for students to enjoy include Rustic Plate, which advertises regional and international offerings, and Ciao Amici, an Italian speciality station.

Director of Dining Programs Bill Connor described feedback the dining program has received from students as well as some of the improvements made to Nolan’s.

“The one piece of constant feedback in previous years from students who dined at Nolan’s was the desire for the Dining Program to offer more variety and frequent opportunities for menu change,” Connor wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “We have listened and we have changed. The new Nolan’s boasts a few new stations, the expansion of others and the creation a new hidden station for a little more excitement.”

Connor also explained that already-popular stations such as Taqueria, featuring taco bowls and burritos, and Fire and Smoke, the grill station, will incorporate new ingredients and options into their menus.

The FFC is arguably the most popular dining spot on campus for freshmen. Since last year, while much of the food offerings remain the same, the ambiance of the establishment has changed. Music now plays throughout the day, and satellite televisions are positioned in high corners throughout the dining room. Connor described how Dining reached the decision to change aspects of the FFC.

“The Class of 2018 thought that FFC could use a little more ambiance after dining there for a year,” Connor wrote. “We worked over the summer to introduce satellite radio and will offer programming and advertising on the TVs very soon. We are hoping to also create a Chef Video Series to introduce you to more of the behind the scenes of FFC.”

Some of the most significant changes were made at CharMar. Where Stonemill Bakery used to sell baked goods, bagels and coffee, Crepe Studio now offers sweet and savory crepes, ice cream, baked goods and flatbreads. Connor said the decision to bring in Crepe Studio was based on feedback from the Hopkins Resident Advisory Board (RAB) and students.

“We sought out to enhance the CharMar experience from last year. Over the summer we looked at a variety of potential concepts that would meet the diverse dining needs of the community, be budget friendly for our students and activate the space in CharMar,” Connor wrote. “Crepe Studio is operated by a third party food service provider with oversight by Bon Appétit.”

CharMar has also introduced changes to its method of ordering hot sandwiches. Last year, students were able to select and customize pre-made sandwiches at different prices from a menu above the station. This year students must fill out a form and design their own sandwich from scratch for one fixed price. Connor explained that this process was changed in order to increase efficiency.

“The new ordering process was created to try and be more efficient. The old system of ordering a premade sandwich was difficult when everyone wanted to customize their own sandwich,” Connor wrote. “This new method allows everyone to have their sandwich made to order according to their personal preferences.”

Although these changes, introduced over the summer, present a variety of new options to students, Connor said the improvements won’t stop there. He emphasized that dining options at Hopkins are continually updated throughout the school year.

“We work all year long to listen to student feedback, re-group and brainstorm solutions to any feedback and re-engage to deliver a better dining program for Hopkins students,” he wrote.

Students have mixed reactions to the changes Dining has introduced. Junior Erin Hedglen said that a frequent problem with her Nolan’s experience last year was indeed the lack of options.

“It wasn’t great. But not bad if you lived in Commons and didn’t want to leave the building, when it’s raining or during winter,” Hedglen wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “They just don’t have much variety so people tended to get sick of the food rather quickly.”

Hedglen also said she believes the changes made to CharMar will help make it a better dining option for students. Sophomore Amy Wei corroborated with Hedglen, but had some suggestions for improvement.

“I still wish that they sold more produce and fruit,” Wei wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

Sophomores Elizabeth Konopacki, Katelyn Billings, Kiara Kaylor and Lindsay Cohen all expressed similar opinions about Nolan’s. They agreed that the food was good, but lines could get long around peak dinner time. Konopacki said that the method of ordering food at Nolan’s also presented some problems.

“I’ve liked what I’ve tasted so far, but going in the first couple times is super confusing,” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

Cohen spoke to the repetitive nature of the meals.

“The food is not bad — honestly the first time I went there I was amazed,” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “But then I got the same meal a second time and it got old super fast.”

Freshman Abby Shegelman explained that she loves the FFC, even if not necessarily because of the improvements made by Dining.

“Honestly, I haven’t noticed the music or TVs but I love the FFC (for now),” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I like the grilled cheese more than anything. And my friends and I meet up there all the time.”