Otterbein University adopted new food services guidelines for the 2019-2020 academic year to fix issues with dining options on campus.
These changes took place when Otterbein partnered with a new food services provider, Parkhurst Dining. One of the biggest adjustments to the food services program is that meal exchanges cannot be used at the Otterden until after 7:30 p.m.
The Director of Residence Life, Tracy Benner, said that the decision to accept meal exchanges at the Otterden after 7:30 p.m. was made to give students the option to use their meal plan after the Cardinal’s Nest is closed for the day. Benner said that meal exchanges are not accepted during the day due to the Cardinal’s Nest being open continuously throughout the day. This is a change from the break between lunch and dinner services in previous years.
Another change to Otterbein food services is that the Café at the Point now accepts meal exchanges throughout the day. Benner said that the Café at the Point is now operated by Parkhurst Dining which allows the café to be included in dining services. This gives students the option to use their meal exchanges at the Otterden after 7:30 p.m. or the Café at the Point.
Benner also said that in previous years, Otterbein has only had two places on campus that accepted meal plans. With the addition of the Café at the Point, she said that the decision to allow meal exchanges at the Otterden after the Cardinal’s Nest’s daily closing time made sense. Benner said that this makes it so there are still two dining places on campus open at any given time, the dining options in the campus just shift in the evening.
Benner said that the long wait times at the Otterden were a consideration when making the new food service guidelines. She said that this resulted in the new limited menu at the quick-service restaurant. Benner said that the food is already prepared and can be customized to a students’ liking. This change is expected to make the food assembly process more expedient to shorten the amount of time that students are waiting. Benner said that it is too early in the semester to measure the impact that the changes at the Otterden have had on the meal wait times.
Emily Steinberg, a sophomore at Otterbein, said that she goes to the Café at the Point more than she did last year due to the ability to use meal exchanges at the Café. Steinberg said, “Overall, I’m not that impressed. I think they were trying to make beneficial changes but it kind of backfired. I think they have taken away options from students. It’s become inconvenient to have a meal plan.”
Brynna Guthrie, a junior at Otterbein, said, “It’s frustrating because if you don’t want to go to the Nest, you have to wait until after 7:30 to eat dinner.” However, Guthrie also said, “I’m a fan of the service this year, there are more options. I like the different selections they have; they don’t have the same food every day.”
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