Due to staffing shortages, Penn State Dining is temporarily consolidating some of its dining locations at University Park campus on select days in order to continue providing its most popular foods for students.
“Like a lot of employers locally and around the country, we’re experiencing some staffing shortfalls. We’re making these temporary adjustments to our food service hours so we can continue providing the variety and high quality foods that our customers have come to expect, while trying to minimize disruption to our customers,” said Jim Richard, director of residential dining. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as we work through these minor issues.”
Starting Saturday, Oct. 16, the South Food District in Redifer Commons will focus on Monday through Friday food service operations. Students will see the opening of In A Pickle, the made-to-order deli station on Monday, Oct. 25. “This change will allow us to provide an additional offering to our guests on weekdays," Amy Bressler, assistant director of South Food District. On the weekends, students can find the addition of drip coffee service in Louie's Convenience Store for those seeking a quick breakfast option. Louie's will maintain their regular weekend hours of 9 a.m. to midnight.
Students living in South Halls looking for All You Care To Eat brunch and dinner can visit Pollock Dining Commons, a popular and convenient nearby location for residents, Richard said, adding that Pollock Dining Commons includes the Market Pollock convenience store and Market Pollock Kitchen, which features made-to-order Asian bowls.
Market North Convenience Store will continue to operate with its regular weekend hours of 9 a.m. to midnight, but the North Food District will close food operations on Saturdays. Both convenience store locations offer a wide variety of grab-and-go items like sushi, sandwiches, and salads. Beginning Monday, Oct. 25, the grill station will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, which features made-to-order burgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as fried favorites like chicken tenders, French fries, and mozzarella sticks. The deli station will close temporarily.
East Food District at Findlay Commons and West Food District at Waring Commons will continue normal operations. Both locations offer All You Care To Eat weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Students also have the option of ordering ahead on the Penn State Eats mobile ordering app. This service provides contactless ordering, allowing students to skip waiting in line. Penn State Eats mobile ordering is available at over two dozen locations across campus. Penn State Eats users can easily see all locations, including those closest to them via GPS, hours of operations and detailed menus. Penn State Eats mobile ordering is available through the Penn State Go app.
These changes allow us to offer our students a variety of dining options and food choices. We are looking at these changes as a temporary solution to help give our students the best experiences during these challenging times. For the most up-to-date hours and locations, visit foodservices.psu.edu.
Residential Dining will continue to offer numerous special events, including its festive Tailgate Friday menus, featuring its favorite football fare. In November, Residential Dining’s chefs go head-to-head in "Toasting the Competition," featuring a different chef each day of the week showcasing their best-loved, toast-themed recipes. In December, Residential Dining will offer its special holiday dinner featuring all the festive favorites. Special pop-up events will also continue, such as National Pierogi Day. For details on all special events, follow Penn State Dining on Facebook and Instagram.