Amid ongoing renovations at South Dining Hall, some students report persistent inconveniences, from damp plates to a lack of silverware. While the issues are minor, students say they create slight annoyances in their daily dining hall routines.
Freshman Annie Kelly began noticing damp dishware following Christmas break.
“The dishware seems clean,” Kelly said. “It just seems like it’s not fully dry all the time.”
Although she emphasized that the issue did not raise concerns about cleanliness, Kelly said she sometimes switches plates or bowls to keep her food from becoming wet.
“I would say I definitely noticed it more at South Dining Hall, but I have had plates that aren't fully dry at North Dining Hall also,” she said. “It doesn't really happen on any specific days or occasions. It just kind of happens at random.”
Juliet Stein, a freshman living in Breen-Phillips Hall, raised additional concerns regarding silverware availability. She said forks are often out of stock.
“There’s always some misstocking on the forks,” Stein said.
When utensils are available, Stein said she has observed other students sorting through multiple pieces before selecting one.
“Usually, I don't really care, but I see other people picking through the silverware,” she said.
Stein said the issue is not confined to one dining hall, though she believes stocking challenges are more noticeable at South.
“South in general, stocking is just worse,” she said. “But that just makes sense with South’s renovation.”
In response to inquiries, Notre Dame Dining Services acknowledged the operational complexities of maintaining services in South Dining Hall during renovations. In an official statement, the department said all procedures meet or exceed required public food safety standards.
John Glon, associate director of South Dining Hall, provided the following statement:
“Across all of its facilities, ND Dining’s dish washing and sanitizing practices meet or exceed all required food safety and public health standards,” Glon wrote. “All cleaning and sanitizing solutions and processes used for plates, cups and silverware are industry standard and approved for food-contact surfaces.”
Glon also encouraged students to share feedback.
“Students may share feedback or concerns at any time, including through QR codes posted throughout the dining hall,” he wrote. “ND Dining reviews and responds as appropriate to maintain a safe, high-quality dining experience.”
As renovations continue, Dining Services maintains that safety standards are being upheld.
