Parkhurst Dining now oversees dining on the Hamilton campus. New changes in the dining halls are capturing Hamilton’s attention as students settle this fall.

Dining is a key component of the Hamilton experience, helping students stay energized for the day and acting as a space for them to take a break during their rigorous daily schedules. All students are required to pay for a campus meal plan (unless they are granted an exemption for medical or religious reasons), adding yet another layer to students’ interest in the changes the new service will bring.

The school officially transitioned from Bon Appetit Management Company to Parkhurst Dining after an intensive search process. Five dining providers, including Bon Appetit, submitted proposals in a bidding process to become Hamilton’s vendor.

Parkhurst ultimately won the bidding war. A key component of Parkhurst Dining as noted on their website is “authentic culinary experiences” with “fresh, wholesome and hand-crafted” food. The company serves both corporations and educational institutions, like colleges and universities; the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mount Saint Mary College and the University of New England are among their client list.

“The Parkhurst brand was founded by chefs, so passion and expertise for food is at the core of what our Team Members do each day, and how we do it. We believe deeply in the value of food that is made-from-scratch and prepared in smaller batches, and consciously sourcing ingredients and products that are local, unique, and aligned with our own values,” Tony Williams, Senior General Manager of Parkhurst, told

The Spectator

.

Parkhurst turned to feedback from the Hamilton community, from both administrators and students, to decide which aspects of Hamilton dining they hope to improve, change or keep the same.

“From those insights, we’re really focused on consistent food quality from meal-to-meal and bringing our passion for made-from-scratch food to Hamilton, improving the speed of service to help mitigate lines, investing the equipment and physical build-out of the dining spaces for a better experience and increasing the variety of menu offerings featured across the five locations,” Williams said.

A new vendor brings new staff to campus, so many students were relieved to also see familiar faces working at the dining halls this semester. “We’re thrilled to have so many team members returning to Hamilton Dining, as well as welcoming many new faces that help us reach being fully-staffed,” Williams said. As outlined in an investigative piece published in May 2022 by

The Spectator

, many dining hall workers reported feeling overwhelmed by an understaffed environment, particularly, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parkhurst’s emphasis on hiring new staff could lessen stress on individual workers and create a more efficient system for all community members coming into the college’s dining halls.

“The transition also paved the way for promoting some Team Members from last year, and we’re looking forward to helping them continue to grow!” he explained. Williams said that all team members underwent training modules regarding customer service, communication, culinary processes, and more.

Opinions on Parkhurst Dining have been mixed, although a few notice a significant change. Sarah White ’26 said, “I think they have more fresh fruit, but overall it feels pretty similar.” Fresh fruit has been a visible addition to Hamilton’s dining halls, with bowls of fresh pears, peaches, apples and more on display, as well as the additions of strawberries and blueberries in the yogurt section of Commons Dining Hall.

Among other changes, the mushroom and pepper sauté station is no longer present, though the familiar black bean burgers remain on, an especially valuable staple for students with dietary restrictions. Some other recent additions are revamped McEwen U-Cook stations, mints set up by dining hall exits and Pepsi as the new “primary beverage vendor,” as announced by Lucy Burke, Director of Procurement and Administrative Services, in a community-wide email in late August.

But some students do notice a difference. Compared to last year, Kevin Pillsbury ’26 noted, “There are less options which makes some days worse. But when the days are good, nothing from last year can match.”

Hamilton is not the only institution changing up their dining services. Lafayette College also switched from Bon Appetit Management Company to Parkhurst Dining, starting in the 2023–24 academic year. As outlined in Lafayette’s campus paper,

The Lafayette

, students expressed concern with the college’s meal swipe program, lack of options for students with dietary restrictions and less access to produce; students plan to bring Parkhurst a petition to bring these issues to the vendor’s attention. No such petition has been created at Hamilton at this point.