Fordham University Dining is expecting many major changes in the new year. Following prior complaints about limited dining hours and lack of options, the University is going to work with students to ensure all needs are met. In the past, students have complained about the limited weekend cafeteria hours as well as limited eating options available during breaks.

Molly Ewing, FCRH ’25, finds no issue with the current closing times of the dining options.

“Expecting the dining hall to be open late at night, until 11, and reopen again at 7:30 the next morning is unreasonable. I also think it would be a financial burden to make the hours longer,” said Ewing.

When asked to comment on limited dining hours and lack of options on the weekends and following breaks, Deming Yaun, university dining contract liaison, said the university is willing to adjust the hours.

“I am certainly open to the idea. I can research it and find out if we missed an opportunity.”
Yaun said that the university is constantly working, changing and adjusting the available dining options to find what works best for the students and employees. He cited changes during the fall 2022 move-in as an example of prior collaborative efforts to meet the needs of the student body.

“In fall openings, we used to only have one place open. This year on move-in day, there were so many people all over campus that we opened up additional locations and ended up doubling the number of people that we served. We are always trying to match the offer to the demand,” said Yaun.

Yaun also highlighted dining improvements that are expected to be made available for students sometime in 2023. He emphasized the marketplace renovation as a major improvement, saying, “It is turning into a destination dining plan.”

Yaun provided further description for the destination dining plan, saying, “Additional smaller venues are going to be open around campus with seating. While the Marketplace is being renovated, we have some very exciting stuff coming in the way of temporary dining to get us through to the marketplace reopening. I think people will be very excited about that.”

While the Marketplace undergoes further renovations, other options will be available for Fordham students, staff and faculty.

“There will be a very cool convenience store going in and students will have access from the new section of the McShane Campus Center. That will be going live somewhere between June and August of 2023. It will be there during the Marketplace renovations and also when we open next fall,” said Yaun.

Fordham students are very excited to receive the new dining options. “I am excited about the new dining options. I think it will be good for students to have places to eat with their friends besides the dining hall, their dorm rooms and the lounges. A change of environment is always good,” said Carolyn Kennedy, FCRH ’25.

Yaun also highlighted amenities that will be found in the new dining options, mentioning new healthy and convenient food options and the possibility of self-checkout.

According to Yaun, while changes to current dining hours are not likely this semester, the University is willing to adjust the hours that are offered in the future. “If people have suggestions, we are happy to consider them. At the moment, we have received no comments, but […] we are happy to hear [suggestions],” said Yaun.