The recent announcement of the closure of Brittain Dining Hall has left many students upset and concerned about the future of dining options on campus.

The dining hall is a popular choice on campus, and its convenient location, stained glass windows, and high ceilings make it a treasured landmark. It offers a unique and memorable dining experience that many students will miss.

However, Ryan Green, Tech’s executive director of dining and retail, wants students to know that Brittain’s closure should only be temporary.

“It is not a permanent closure,” Green stressed. “We announced the closure for this year and we will have to wait and see how it develops, but we hope to be able to reopen next academic year.”

After over a century of operation, Brittain’s age has resulted in various problems and it now requires maintenance that has been put off over the years.

“We operated Brittain in a safe manner,” Green explained. “But we realized that if we didn’t work on it in the near future,
there could be security problems.”

In addition to fixing maintenance issues, Green and his staff want to make Brittain a better dining experience for students. Renovations and repairs will cost over $10 million and include electrical work, a new pantry, and replacing flooring, ceilings and lighting.

“We are still in the brainstorming and design phase of what we want to renovate, but we will be working with many stakeholders, including the SGA (Student Government Association) and our HA (Housing Association), to get overall feedback before we make any decisions about Brittain’s future,” Green explained.

With Brittain closed for the academic year, food and retail businesses are anticipating further increased demand on campus, so North Avenue Dining Hall will be open 24 hours a day, Monday through Thursday.

In addition, a third shift has been introduced, meaning staff will work 10 hours a day for four days in a row. There will also be new outdoor furniture, including umbrellas, seating and other lounging furniture to keep students comfortable in the heat.

“SGA and most of our students have been asking for a 24-hour cafeteria for a number of years now, because UGA and Georgia State both have one,” Green explained. “So we found a way to do it without moving or laying off employees. Brittain’s employees will be moving to either West Village or North Ave.”

The Go Food program, a reusable, sustainable way for students to get a free take-home meal, has also been expanded. Students can now borrow three meals a day from one container, up from just one.

Tech Dining is also introducing a “Flex Plan” specifically for freshmen to give them another meal option. Freshmen can now choose a plan with 200 meals and over 800 dining dollars.

“The new plan allows students to use more Dining Dollars for retail and not just for dining hall meals, which has been a popular student request in the past,” Green explained. “Boho Tacos, Rays and Tin Drum in Tech Square will begin accepting Dining Dollars in the fall, which will also help reduce traffic in the remaining dining halls.”

Other changes to the food service area this fall include the introduction of Starship delivery robots. Students can download the Starship app and use their meal money to have food delivered to a desired location on campus, such as Tech Square, North Ave Apartments, and the Global Learning Center. Food can also be delivered from most food service establishments.

In addition to the new delivery options, the Student Center will offer a new Costa coffee machine with a variety of coffees that students can purchase with their meal dollars. Clough will also introduce a Chick-fil-A vending machine, providing another convenient
Catering options for students.

There is also an emphasis on improving food quality across all dining facilities. Undrey Bostic, Tech’s new director of residential dining, has spearheaded the kitchen team’s plan to improve food production, especially after dinner when food volumes have tended to drop in the past. Improvements have included changing a number of recipes and leveraging the new Seaboard food management system, which has helped with production volumes.

“Given the additional customer traffic in the remaining dining rooms, Undrey recognizes it is important to offer more quality food after traditional meal times,” Green explained.

A big focus for Green is prioritizing sustainability in campus dining. A student-founded company, Racoon AI, has partnered with the Food and Retail Department. The app allows Green and his staff to identify and analyze food waste on campus.

“We ask students to be careful about what they put on their plates and make sure they eat it all,” Green explained.

Last year, 84% of leftover food was successfully diverted from landfills, and Green hopes to increase that number in the coming years. The Green Forks program also encourages limiting food waste at events. When event organizers have leftover food, they can scan a QR code and notify students who are having food safety issues.

As Brittain undertakes long-overdue renovations, these changes and additions to Tech’s infrastructure aim to provide a better and more efficient dining experience for students, staff and faculty while being considerate of the local community.