Donald Keough, News Editor–
At any given time in the Slayter Student Union, you can probably hear someone voicing their opinion about Denison Hospitality, formerly known as just Denison Dining.
Harvest Table Culinary Group is Denison’s new foodservice provider and they have reworked the dining scene, bringing changes to ordering, the types of food served, catering services and more.
Throughout this transition, they have received plenty of feedback from students and staff. In a series of nine interviews, students gave a number of wide-ranging reviews of Denison Hospitality’s service in the dining halls.
“In comparison to the previous provider, I would say that [Denison Hospitality] is better in terms of food quality,” said Tri Ha ‘25. “But in terms of food diversity, they haven’t been as good.”
Seven of the nine students indicated that they felt that the quality of food provided was better, while all nine students agreed that there should be more of a variety of food options.
Ha also said that he believed he noticed food prices, specifically in Slayter, to be higher than what he was used to in years past.
“I’ve noticed that [Denison Hospitality] feels way, way more expensive,” said Ha. “My lunch has cost me as much as $20.”
Four of the other students also voiced concern about prices.
Ha also noted, despite the higher prices, that he hasn’t felt very money conscious, because the senior meal plan allots the most Flex Dollars out of any meal plan. But he said that it could have a greater effect on the way classes below him spend their Flex Dollars.
Some students with dietary restrictions have said they’ve faced challenges.
“The problem for me is I have a lot of food allergies, and last year, I used to be able to text each chef individually [and ask] what I could have on the menu, and what I couldn’t,” said Jonah Waltz ‘27. “They don’t have that this year which [has been rough]. But the dietitian has been very good. She has a whole list of ingredients, so she’ll send me the list so I can still see what’s in stuff. But there still have been some inconsistencies.”
Charlie Herron ‘25 is a vegetarian and said that she has seen improvement in the quality of vegetarian options, such as the tofu offered. But her biggest concerns have been with the implementation of Grubhub.
“Recently, my Grubhub app doesn’t work,” Herron said. “It’s the only way to order food in Slayter [remotely]… so it’s very frustrating when it doesn’t work. I also feel like the [ordering] experience in general is pretty depersonalized, and we’re detached from the process and which concerns me about the food, but also about the people making the food. I hear so many complaints thrown around aimed at the people who are making food, and not at the system.”
In the response of student criticism, Denison Hospitality Administration, (or Harvest’s employees at Denison), have made it clear that they welcome this critique. In an interview with members of their administration, they provided a response to what they hope feedback will look like between students and Denison Hospitality staff.
“Our ideal feedback culture is built upon the motto ‘for students, by students,’” they said, requesting that their names be omitted in alignment with company policy.
They also, in response to the idea around what Denison Hospitality means, added that “[dining] should be a place where any feedback, thought or suggestion is always encouraged [to be brought] around the table.”
So far, Denison Hospitality has addressed some of the feedback by bringing back a number of previous dining elements since the start of the school year. They’ve brought ice cream machines back to The Table at Huffman and Curtis and reinstated grilled cheese on Tuesdays.
They’ve also improved some of their newer implementations, such as their online ordering system through Grubhub, by splitting up Slatyer Market into different restaurant style stations that you can order individually from, to help decrease wait times.
But many students still feel there is still more that Denison Hospitality can do. All of the students interviewed felt that although their dining experience has improved from the beginning of this year, they still hope improvements will be made.
Denison students have been able to communicate in a number of ways with Denison Hospitality, including through the Napkin Talk walls at The Table at Huffman or Curtis, their social media page or on their website.
Students have still felt that some of their opinions haven’t been heard or implemented.
Denison Hospitality said they operate the same way as any normal foodservice company, although they did not explicitly explain how they chose their price points. They have also assured students that there are more changes to come as the year progresses, and that they will continue to work on solutions with the student body’s best interest in mind.