Important updates to Dining Services

From: Dining Services

Welcome back Hokies!

We hope you had an exciting and restful summer.  

Dining Services has been hard at work over the summer – updating sustainability initiatives, renovating bathrooms, and bringing new and exciting updates to the former Au Bon Pain spaces. We hope these updates will continue to provide you with the best campus experience.  

Perry Place at Hitt Hall

It is exciting to bring new options and spaces to the Hokie community. As the semester begins, we want to continue to bring attention to our latest dining facility on the academic side of campus – Perry Place at Hitt Hall. This new building will hold eight brand-new food concepts and a full-service Chick-fil-A. Smoked barbecue, all-day breakfast, and more will be coming to campus for the first time. Additionally, Perry Place will be a short walk from the new Transit Center, giving off-campus students easier access to additional food options. Different dining plans are available to off-campus students. These plans are designed to be more convenient for those who don’t live on campus.  

Perry Place at Hitt Hall will open on the first day of classes on Aug. 26 and throughout the week of Sept. 16-20, with Dining Services hosting events celebrating the grand opening. All week long, there will be games, free food, prizes, entertainment, and more to celebrate. On Sept.20, there will be a dedication to Hitt Hall celebrating the grand opening of the building. All Hokies are encouraged to stop by during this week of festivities, so stay tuned for more details.

Other new shops across campus

Dining Services will welcome three new shops set to open this fall semester. Coming to Squires Student Center will be Corner '24, a spot that will serve sandwiches, soups, baked goods, and Grab N’ Gobble items – with the option of creating custom sandwiches. Corner '24 will craft its sandwiches with premium, all-natural turkey and chicken that contain no artificial ingredients, hormones, or preservatives.  

A new Grab N’ Gobble concept called Ducky’s is anticipated to open in late fall within the Graduate Life Center. Ducky's will offer authentic boba teas, refreshers, coffee, baked goods, and Grab N’ Gobble items. 

One of our most famous spots, Viva Market, will be replicated at Goodwin Hall and be called Viva Too. This shop will be nearly identical to the current shop at the Johnston Student Center, serving many of the same Hokie favorite hot-and-ready items.

Upgraded student experience at Owens Food Court

The restroom area at Owen’s Food Court has undergone extensive renovation. The upgrades include the installation of a new pushout wall, a gender-neutral/family-use restroom, additional Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant stalls equipped with an adult changing table, digital messaging screens, a water bottle filling station. For more information, see this article from the VT News.   

Sustainability updates – ensuring we commit to a thriving ecosystem

Over the summer, Dining Services worked on updating food packaging, implemented a new system for reusable containers, and updated waste signage in all facilities. These initiatives are a part of the university’s climate goals to reduce plastic and manage compostable materials and waste.  

In addition to displaying waste signage and the ongoing effort to replace plastic containers with compostable ones, all dining facilities will no longer provide plastic cups for water. Students and guests are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles to fill with water. This ties into the effort to reduce plastic use on the Virginia Tech campus.

A new service that allows the tracking and return of reusable containers will begin this fall. These reusable containers will be available out of West End and can be purchased and tracked through GrubHub. The GrubHub app will send reminders about returning the containers. Using reusable containers is an excellent way to help the university continue to reduce unnecessary waste.  

Read more about the sustainability updates by checking out this article in the VT News.  

Student experience updates – making things easier for you

Digital menus are being updated across all facilities to include allergen information and to be more concise. Each symbol represents an allergen and appears next to a food item on the menu – the person ordering can use the symbols to recognize if something is gluten-free, vegetarian, etc.  

A new allergen-friendly retail location called Allee piloted in Spring 2024. Allee will provide a variety of prepackaged snacks encompassing gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, and more in hopes of becoming an allergen-free destination on campus. We received feedback from students regarding this shop and are implementing the changes required to satisfy any dietary need.   

Lastly, we want to reiterate the importance of bringing your personal bottle for water, as we are removing plastic water cups from all facilities. While this may be a slight inconvenience, it helps the university maintain a sustainable environment. 

We hope each one of you has a magnificent semester!