During 10 years, Creative Dining Services fulfilled the dining and catering needs of the John Brown University community. However, on May 15, Fresh Ideas Food Service Management started providing JBU’s dining and catering. As part of this fresh start, the company opted for a modern appearance introducing freshly painted walls and brand-new booths to take over the dining hall, lovingly referred to by students as the “caf. With the start of this academic year, the newly transformed dining hall has finally been unveiled to welcome both JBU staff and students alike. Those with a keen eye will notice, however, that the changes extend beyond just surface-level aesthetics.

By giving a quick look to the caf students will still be able to spot some familiar food lines that are returning from last year, but that have been given a brand-new look. The “Homestyle” and “Sideways” lines have been renamed to “Epic Eats” and “Board and Blade” but continue to offer the main entrees for everyday meals, offering a wide array of proteins, veggies and sides for students to choose from. The grill also continues to offer scrambled eggs and omelets for breakfast, as well as various burgers and sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Breakfast foods have also evolved, with new juice, coffee, and creamer machines being implemented alongside more cereal options and a larger waffle station.

Nevertheless, some larger changes have also been done to the caf that have taken notice within the student body. The taqueria, commonly referred to as “the taq”, has been replaced with the new food line “United Table,” which sets to offer regionally themed meals for students to enjoy tastes from all over the world. The change has received some mixed opinions, with some stating that though they enjoy the food offered by “United Table,” “The Taq” has left a noticeable absence in their everyday meals. “Whenever you were unsure of what to eat in the caf , the taq was always a safe option for you” said sophomore student Emily Clark.

Fortunately, the caf hasn’t lost the taq completely, with a new nacho bar known as “Hola Comida” being opened this year as well. Thomas Jeffries, Director of Dining services,  recognized thenostalgiarevolving the absence of the taq, and commented the following about the new nacho bar: “We noticed they really missed the Taqueria, so though it’s not an exact equivalent, [it allows them] to have things that they’ve had in the past.”

Despite having to say farewell to the taq, students have nonetheless been glad to be able to enjoy two of their favorite and returning lines: Victor’s pizzeria and the Deli. Like the taq, students agree that both lines offer them options that will always be reliable and will always be delicious, with Victor’s pizzeria even offering a wide range of Blue Bell ice cream flavors for everyone to enjoy.

Another one of the big changes has come with the new “Delicious Without” section, aimed at those consumers that may have dietary restrictions involving the 9 main allergens (milk, eggs, nuts, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, wheat, soy and sesame). Some have commented that though the implementation of this line does provide more inclusive options to their diets, there are instances where the options that are generally available to them are limited. Whether it be at the Deli or Pizzeria, where the Gluten-free options tend to be scarce, or at the grill, where cross-contamination is hard to avoid, it is still hard to maintain a diet in the dining hall where you avoid allergens altogether.

That isn’t to say that the dining hall staff isn’t working to get more accommodations for those whose diets demand it. Many of the lines in the dining hall will have some alternate options that can be offered upon request. Victor’s pizzeria, for example, offers cauliflower crust personal pizzas for those looking for a wheat-free option. Fresh Ideas chef , Calon Bibs, commented about the intention of bringing into the caf gluten-free bread options that would be offered in the Deli and breakfast bar, as well as implementing a toaster and a waffle maker for those that are especially sensitive to cross-contamination.

Bibs also hyperbolized the importance of having strong communication with students, especially in the case of dietary restrictions or allergies: “We definitely prefer to have the students come talk to us. If they’re ever in line and the server hasn’t answered their question sufficiently, please, ask for one of the cooks. We have no problem coming out and telling you what’s in it.”

Going into this new academic year, students will have the opportunity to explore all of the new meal options that are available to them or stick with those that they have come to love. Whether the food options are an improvement from last year’s or not, is up to the students to decide.

Photo courtesy of Maria Chinchilla