Ahead of the 2024-2025 school year, Ole Miss Dining announced changes designed to improve access to food and meals for students on campus.

In an Instagram post on July 24, it was announced that food trucks would accept meal swipes, with one meal swipe equal to $8.50 in cash toward the purchase of food.

The idea of ​​food trucks accepting food vouchers has been under consideration for several years.

“(Concerns) included logistical issues such as building infrastructure for compatibility of a unified payment system and ensuring that food trucks meet the standards required to participate in our dining program,” said Amy Anderson, marketing manager for Ole Miss Dining Services.

Since partnering with Grubhub in JanuaryOle Miss Dining wanted to further integrate the company’s software to improve the overall dining experience for all students.

“Thanks to Grubhub’s technology, we can now accurately track and process food orders so that food trucks can be included in the meal planning system,” Anderson said.

Students expect the change to make dining on campus more convenient.

“My friends and I always complained about running out of time because we have so many unused meal vouchers,” said Kamryn Reed, a third-year Southern Studies student. “My little sister is starting here this year, and I think living on campus and having more restaurants that accept meal vouchers will make her transition to college life easier.”

Reed’s younger sister Kristian, a freshman health science major, believes this new payment option will increase the appeal of food trucks.

“Now that the food trucks accept meal vouchers, it’s more convenient for me to stop by them than the union,” said Kristian Reed. “I’ve heard that the union can be unreliable sometimes since they’re very busy, so I think it’s better to avoid the rush and eat at the food trucks.”

Caitlin Magnuson, owner of Copper Top of Magnolia Coffee Co., will have a food truck next to Ventress Hall.

“We’re excited that the meal vouchers are being accepted,” Magnuson said. “I think making meals more accessible is a win-win for everyone involved.”

In response to the increasing popularity of meal swipes as a new form of payment, it has revamped its menu.

“We’ve adjusted our menu a few times to make it as meaningful as possible for students in relation to their meals,” Magnuson said. “Simple things like a latte or a Lotus are paid for once, while a meal plus a drink is paid for twice.”

The offer of food vouchers also attracts students who would not normally have eaten at the food trucks.

Georgia Skelton, a freshman general studies major and soccer player at Ole Miss, said she might be more inclined to try out the food trucks on campus.

“Although I will be eating primarily at The Grill and with my team, I definitely want to try the food trucks, especially since they accept meal vouchers,” Skelton said.

Another change in the dining area is the relocation of Chick-fil-A and McAlister’s within the Ole Miss Student Union. Chick-fil-A will now be located on the second floor of the student residence hall and McAlister’s will take its location next to Panda Express on the ground floor.

“We saw this as an opportunity to address student feedback regarding menu limitations that come with (UM Chick-fil-A) being a non-traditional restaurant,” said Chip Burr, resident district manager for Ole Miss Dining. “Swapping out the concept locations gives us the space and capacity to expand the menu and add more of Chick-fil-A’s most popular dishes.”

Mareleigh Rayner, a first-year law student, said the change would destroy the classic McAlister’s experience and increase wait times.

“It takes away the McAlister’s feel because when you think of McAlister’s you think of a place to sit down and it also provides a quiet retreat compared to the always busy ground floor,” Rayner said. “Ultimately I think it’s a bad decision because the wait times will be even longer downstairs and I think people will feel that impact.”

Maddie Cobb, a second-year pharmacy student, supports the relocation.

“I think it’s a great idea to move Chick-fil-A to where McAlister’s was,” Cobb said. “It will draw a lot of traffic from below, which will make it much easier to navigate the union.”

Kamryn Reed agreed.

“I avoided the Union (Chick-fil-A) location a lot last year because it was always crowded, so I chose the Jackson Avenue location instead,” said Kamryn Reed. “Chick-fil-A’s move should alleviate the crowding problem and make the location more accessible. As for McAlister’s, while it’s not as popular as Chick-fil-A, I think the move downstairs could actually help it gain more exposure and possibly do even better.”

Further plans are being discussed within Ole Miss Dining Services to expand options and accommodate larger new class sizes.

“We have discussed at length how to best accommodate and support this influx of students. In the dining program in particular, we are taking proactive measures to manage the increased demand,” Anderson said. “This includes expanding meal times, increasing seating capacity in our dining halls, adding additional stations in the Rebel Market, increasing staff, and adding more food options to reduce wait times and improve the overall dining experience.”