Otterbein’s dining services, Parkhurst Dining, experienced a hot water break that resulted in the Cardinal's Nest closing for lunch hours.
Around 10:00 a.m., the hot water boiler broke. Parkhurst Dining contacted Franklin County Public Health for advice on what to do in the situation. After the inspector arrived, they noticed that the salad bar was also not at an adequate temperature.
Randoll Mitchell, the director of retail for Parkhurst Dining, said on the situation “[Franklin County Public Health] said that all the food that has been prepped is fine. As far as more food being prepped, nothing can be done until there is hot water in the building.”
Mitchell said that the university's service department was working on it, but they had not followed the one-hour timeline they provided. “Our hands are tied,” Mitchell said.
An Otterbein Service Department staff member said at 1:10 p.m. that the boiler had been fixed and that they were just waiting for the water to heat up. However, as of 2:00 p.m., Parkhurst Dining Marketing Intern Kaeris Cicchino said they were checking the water every ten minutes with no change in the water temperature.
Otterbein students began to be turned away from the Cardinal’s Nest when they were told that the hot water was out. Students took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.
@carriejrobb said, “So glad I’m paying for a meal plan that I cannot currently use because of the food service.”
@megsnbacon_99 posted, “Parkhurst is unfair. No warm water in there. Standing the concession. Plotting their oppression.”
Around lunchtime, the Cardinal’s Nest typically serves about 350 to 500 meals. With the dining options shut down, students are being advised to get their meals at the OtterBean, the Café at the Point, or off campus.
Maya Stokes, a sophomore health communication major, said, “I don’t have enough money to afford lunch today and get dinner tonight if this issue continues." The issue is expected to be fixed in time for dinner.
Cicchino said, “This is why Parkhurst needs a new building and new facilities. They have had over 300 service requests just as they’ve been here because the equipment is breaking down, caught on fire or they’ve had issues with [the equipment].”
Rumors are circulating on social media that Parkhurst Dining failed a health inspection this morning. This is not true. In reply to a student posting on Twitter about the rumors, the official Twitter account of Parkhurst Dining said, “This information is false. The health inspector did not shut down The Nest.”
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