Physical Renovations Complement Student Dining Experience
When AVI became Wilmington College's new dining services provider last December, students started the Spring 2022 Semester seeing and tasting the greater variety and freshness of the food — but the physical dining hall looked pretty much the same as when they went home for Christmas break.
PICTURED: The lunch item of choice was tacos for resident adviser Nick Young on Thursday. A number of students are already on campus, including Peer Navigators, resident advisers, athletic trainers and the Fightin' Quakers football team.
AVI Food Systems has been working all summer to reinvent the visual image of the TOP, the student dining hall in Pyle Student Center.
Students arriving this month will notice the space offers a brighter and cheerier ambiance with new flooring and tabletops, custom-milled counter tops and new facing on cabinetry. In addition to fresh paint and ceiling work, students also will realize the stage and curtains on the TOP's west side have been removed to accommodate a more open space for dining.
The former to-go food area has been transformed into a private meeting space for 15 to 20 persons that accommodates dining and group sessions requiring a large monitor for television, PowerPoint presentations and internet use.
The salad bar has been moved and expanded to provide more fruit and vegetable offerings in addition to ready-to-make salads. Also, a special station has been developed for allergen-free foods complemented by a refrigerated area with gluten-free and dairy-free products.
And that's not all. Soon, a new coffee and iced tea machine will be available that features an iced coffee option and a new smoker and rotisserie are on order for eventual fall installation. AVI has additional enhancements to students' dining experience that will be introduced in the future.
