The Brandeis Dining Hall served its last meal before closing for renovations on March 3, 2018. The class of 2022 is the first to know only the new and improved Brandeis Dining Hall, as well the first class without the option of eating at Becker Dining Hall, which was located inside Kiewit Residence Hall and closed last semester. Isabella Batuello, a freshman, said of the new space, “It’s great to have one place that offers so many different options.”
With Brandeis now able to hold over 1,000 people, there was no longer a need for the supplemental Becker dining hall. James Traylor, a seasoned Sodexo worker, said “A dinner of 600 students has now gone up to anywhere between 1200 and 1600 students.”
The overwhelming increase of students has created a demand for more Sodexo workers; some stations need two or even three workers manning each station to meet the new demands of the dining hall.
Brandeis hosted it’s Grand Opening Ceremony of the renovated dining hall on Tuesday, August 28, with food samples, games and prizes.
Students that have experienced both the new and old version of Brandeis have observed an incredible upgrade. “The increase of fresh fruits and vegetables made the food so much better… Keep the blueberries coming!” said College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Jenna Schwartz.
Some newly added stations in the dining hall include: a bakery, an Italian bistro, a mindfulness station offering vegetarian options and a simple servings station.
The renovation also extended to other parts of the building, including an additional downstairs area that made room for offices, kitchen space and more tables as well as an extension on the first floor that added more dining options and dining space for students.
“The downstairs area is a huge space for preparing food that we didn’t have before. Our storage has nearly doubled and [the Sodexo staff] doesn’t have to do everything upstairs in such a limited space,” said Traylor.
In addition to the added kitchen space, offices such as the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center and the Creighton Intercultural Center were given a new designated area in the basement of the Brandeis building.