Shippensburg University students have new on-campus dining opportunities this semester. Aramark Educational Services replaced Chartwells, the former dining provider.
While some dining locations are serving similar food options, others have completely changed.
Rich Coburn, Aramark resident district manager, shared the various changes and updates that officials have made to SU’s dining options.
Reisner, Kriner and the Ceddia Union Building food court all look different this year. Stickers on the floor designate the flow of traffic and places for students to stand measured 6 feet apart. Signs hang on walls reminding students to use sanitizer and wear masks unless seated and eating.
Dining halls and areas have one-way traffic, require masks when not seated and eating and have Plexiglas installed at counters and registered to minimize contact between workers and students.
Other safety measures include staff members being required to take their temperature upon arrival at biothermal scanners seen across campus.
Areas are sanitized and flatware is changed out every 20 minutes. All food is served by workers or wrapped up for grab and go dining.
“We do our best to politely and professionally remind our guests of the social distancing guidelines and ask any groups to separate into the designated tables as quickly as possible,” Coburn said. “We are proactively always looking for ways to improve and make it simpler and easier to stay apart while being together,” Coburn said.
Both Reisner and the CUB food court offer limited indoor seating as well as the option to take food to go. Ensuring that seating is available at 6-foot intervals has decreased the seating capacity in Reisner from 976 to 260. The CUB food court has a food pick up area that will be for meals ordered on the new dining app.
The mobile ordering app is available on the Apple store and Google Play and the goal is for the app to be up by Sept. 1. Participating locations for the app are Pizza Hut, King Street Subs, Limon and Chile, Kick’ Chick’n, Grilleworks and Bento Sushi.
Kriner is the only dining hall to be take out only. Students go through a one-way line to pick up their meals and while all indoor seating has been removed, the tables outside are still available.
Prices in the dining halls have changed including the cost of a meal increasing from $5.90 last year to $6.40 this year.
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