On-campus dining options have undergone massive changes over the last year, with Garrett Food Court being demolished and food trucks brought in as a replacement.

Jace Lux, director of media relations, explained why the decision was made to demolish the building in an email.

“Garrett opened in 1953 and was past its useful life. Equipment within the building, such as utilities, heating, and cooling were in poor condition and would have been expensive to replace in such an old structure,” Lux said. “WKU evaluated options including demolishing the building, refurbishing it, or building a new building. Once those options were assessed, it was determined that refurbishing the building would not be financially practical, and resources were instead put into Helm Library.”

With students no longer having Garrett Conference Center as a food option, many are heading down the Hill to Downing Student Union. This has led to longer than average  lines in the food court, particularly during the prime lunch and dinner times. The nationwide labor shortage has also contributed to wait times at DSU.

Some businesses saw a 50% decrease in available workers, according to an article by the Wall Street Journal. WKU is not immune to this national trend.

“Like most businesses nationally, we are facing labor challenges as the pandemic continues to disrupt operations,” WKU Restaurant Group said in an email. “We do have more vacancies than we would normally see at this point in the semester. We’ve also adjusted operating hours at certain locations at times,” the restaurant group said in an email.

The extent of the issue varies among students with some considering it a non-issue while others are finding it inconvenient because of their class schedules.

Mackenzie Stevens, a freshman at WKU, believes the lines have died down since the start of the semester.

“The lines are super long,” Stevens said. “They were way worse at the beginning of the year, but I think it has finally dispersed out.”

Stevens’ class schedule gives her plenty of time to wait, but she said it can get bothersome sometimes waiting in the lines.

“It can be annoying, especially if you’re waiting for like half an hour for Burrito Bowl,” Stevens said.

She looked forward to the food options that will be available in the library once opened.

The WKU Restaurant Group hosts food trucks at the Colonnades for students on top of the Hill, and along with the food trucks, two new restaurants have opened in Regents Hall, located at the bottom of the hill.

Caroline Burton, a freshman majoring in architectural science, said the lines for food trucks at Restaurant Row can also get really long.

“I stood in line one time and had to leave because it was taking so long, and I was going to be late for class,” Burton said. “But it’s good to have them [the food trucks] there at the top of the hill.”

The WKU Restaurant Group recognizes the potential issue and has made multiple accommodations to help the process along through job fairs, food trucks and new restaurants.

“To increase our staff numbers, we have held multiple job fairs on campus and in the community over the past few months, as well as working to build our workforce with WKU students. We offer many benefits to encourage students to come work with us,” the restaurant group said in an email. 

HRL announced in an email that Java City Coffee and The Spread had opened in the first-year village accepting Meal Plans, Meal Plan Dollars, Dining Dollars, Big Red Dollars, Flex Dollars, Cash and Credit.

News reporter Michael Crimmins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @michael_crimm