Gourmet Dining Upped Students Food Standards from Sodexo

People eating a meal. By Vincent Diamante via Flickr

Marist College students are optimistic about transitioning from food provider Sodexo to Gourmet Dining for the fall 2023 semester.

“I would say it’s so much better; leagues above,” said Aidan Galione ’24.

Galione highlights the dessert and bakery options from the dining hall as significantly improved. “As someone who likes to bake, I’ve liked the baked goods they have there,” said Galione. “I think they’re a step up from what they were.”

Another improved staple? The pizza in the dining hall. “Compared to what I’ve had all the other years, I think this is real pizza,” Galione said.

Evan Brown ’26 agrees with Galione that the pizza has been upgraded. Still, he has not noticed any significant changes in the health quality of some of the options provided in the dining hall. “The homestyle section, salad station, and others seem the same. It hasn’t been noticeable,” said Brown.

Ryan Wise ’24’s go-to spot since the switch to Gourmet Dining has been North End. “I’ve been really enjoying Yella’s and the Halal Shack,” said Wise. “I like to get the bacon cheeseburger a lot; it’s delicious. They’re also open later now, which is awesome.”

However, Galione is not entirely sold on Chef Jet from North End. “I’m not a huge fan of some of the Asian cuisine here,” Galione shared. “Where I live, we have a lot of Asian culture, so I’m very used to Japanese cuisine. The food here isn’t bad for college food, but there’s definitely a bar I have where I’m like, ‘This doesn’t taste right, I don’t know if I’m going to get this again.’”

Galione, who is a pescatarian, also finds that Gourmet Dining does not provide enough of variety for people with dietary restrictions. “There seems to be a little more green in some of the sandwiches now,” Galione said. “However, I’m a little upset that there doesn’t seem to be as many vegan and vegetarian options as there used to be.”

North End is the clear winner for the most improved on-campus dining option. Wise admits North End tastes as good as off-campus options, surpassing Sodexo standards. Brown agrees and also believes that the dining hall has made some improvements but to less of a notable extent.

Although Wise, Galione and Brown all prefer Gourmet Dining to Sodexo, they both believe it could be better with some adjustments, particularly in the cost of food. Retail prices for wings at North End are $14 for six wings or over $20 for a dozen.

“The food is better, but it’s a bit pricey,” Wise said. “I feel like when Sodexo was running the show last year, it was a lot cheaper.”