By Shivani Gosai | Asst. Opinions Editor
After years of student feedback, Duquesne is getting a ton of new dining renovations, including a Chick-Fil-A Express in the Options Food Court on the fifth floor of the Student Union.
The incoming renovations will definitely be accommodating to busy students. Parkhurst is focusing on making the dining experience more convenient and sustainable with their new “On-The-Go” program.
Options Food Court, currently one of the most popular dining choices for students living on campus, is updating its menus. There will be a new Mexican made-to-order bar that will offer burritos, tacos, bowls and salads. For a quicker, healthier option, the current salad and deli bar will be replaced with on-the-go options featuring freshly made sandwiches, bistro boxes, salads, sushi, yogurt parfaits and more. These items will also be available at The Incline, Campus Market and Campus Market Express.
The new healthy dining options are welcomed by students.
“I would like more options, especially if you’re on a healthier diet. All there is right now is salad really,” Christina Branch, a sophomore public relations and advertising major, said.
The newest addition that seems to be getting the most excitement on campus is the Chick-fil-A Express. Chick-fil-A has been the highest-ranking fast food restaurant in the country for customer satisfaction, and students are very excited for its arrival to Options. The menu will include their signature chicken sandwich, waffle fries, a barbecue-bacon sandwich, salads and more. Hand-spun milkshakes will also be available as well as homemade lemonade.
“When I found out they were putting in a Chick-fil-A, I was literally screaming. I hope they don’t up-price it or anything, but really, I would eat at Chick-fil-A every day. That is amazing,” Sarah Gethers, a sophomore corporate communication major, said.
The healthy replacements at Options are definitely something to look forward to, especially because they will be accommodating to students that are crunched for time. As well as menu changes, putting in a Chick-fil-A will will be a nice break from regular dining hall food for everyone. Personally, I’m very excited for a Chik-fil-A Express because their fries and milkshakes are really good, but at the same time, I can’t support the company because of the previous claims of ties to anti-LGBT organizations.
Parkhurst Dining’s marketing and culinary teams plan to launch all of these changes for Options this fall.
Nutritious and sustainable dining options are beneficial, but some students are worried that healthier food means expensive prices.
“Healthier is always more expensive. So I think it’s great that they’re putting that in, but are our meal plans going to change? You know, am I going to afford the healthier options?” said Gether.
Parkhurst has not released any information on prices changing at Options.
Including the renovations at Options, the Starbucks in the Student Union will also be getting revamped. That specific Starbucks location is constantly busy; the line is almost always out the door and there’s hardly any seats open. To keep up with the demand, the coffee shop will be getting a new, expanded pick-up area for beverages, the number of appliances will be doubled and technology will be upgraded so that customers can use the Starbucks App and gift cards. Duquesne is also expecting more charging outlets and seating to better serve students that want to study inside.
Quicker, healthier food for students can’t hurt, so these incoming dining enhancements are looking to benefit students. The Chick-fil-A Express is especially expecting to bring in more excited students to Options. Everyone knows college students are constantly busy, so it helps to cut down time with these dining changes when we as students are always hungry, tired and in a rush.
