Florida Atlantic University has recently made adjustments to campus dining that have sparked mixed reactions among students, including introducing a new restaurant in the food court, Manhattan Joe’s Pizzeria, and the construction of a new Dunkin’ location. 

While many students expressed their fondness for the new local pizza place, Manhattan Joe’s Pizzeria, moving into FAU’s Breezeway Food Court on the Boca Raton campus, and the convenience of the new Dunkin’ location east of the library, frustration amongst the student body is still persistent. 

Alexis Brandstatter, a graduating senior majoring in exercise sciences, shared her hopes for changes in the dining services during her time at FAU. 

“I like the new food options on campus — they’re great, but I was hoping the dining hours would have improved over the last four years too. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen anytime soon,” she said.

The opening of Dunkin’, originally scheduled for January 2025, has been delayed to February 7, according to the FAU Minor Projects Management Database. Meanwhile, some students — particularly those among the approximately 6,786 who live on campus — have expressed concerns over limited food court hours and the lack of restaurant diversity on weekends, calling for improvements to better fit their needs.

Students have expressed their frustration with the food court’s hours of operation, which mostly close at 5 p.m. on weekdays and offer no service on weekends — a schedule that has remained unchanged for years despite frequent complaints. These concerns have been voiced through platforms like the University Press and Reddit, where students have pointed out the lack of extended hours and the inconvenience of limited dining options during evenings and weekends

“Scrambling for meals on weekends is frustrating,” said Benny Hale, a freshman studying finance at FAU. “It feels like the university forgets we’re still here.” 

On Jan. 7., FAU Dining Services announced that Manhattan Joe’s Pizzeria had replaced Pizza Hut in the Breezeway Food Court, bringing a local Boca Raton flavor to the campus dining experience, as confirmed by a post on their official Instagram account.

Manhattan Joe’s describes itself as a modern Italian concept that only brings the freshest of ingredients to the table, with pizza being hand-tossed and Italian sandwiches and salads being made to order. While its first location is in Boca Raton, this marks its second location overall. 

Many students shared their excitement about the change, commending FAU for bringing a local pizzeria onto campus that advertises the use of fresh ingredients and offers a different dining experience compared to what Pizza Hut originally offered students says Solana Acosta, a freshman majoring in medical biology. 

“You can get Pizza Hut almost anywhere so adding a different pizza place that’s local and that uses fresh ingredients is more appealing,” Acosta said. “It’s especially a bonus because you see them make everything to order right in front of you, and they offer more customization.” 

Natalia Kuppers, a sophomore majoring in health sciences, shared her gratitude towards the installment of Manhattan Joe’s Pizzeria on campus.

“I was so excited when I saw the change. I think that it’s a much healthier option than the Pizza Hut and I think that the representation of local food places in Boca coming to FAU is really neat,” Kuppers said.

Many students shared their appreciation for the local business representation on campus, including Ella Taubman, a sophomore studying criminal justice.

“It’s really cool having a local restaurant on campus, especially if you don’t have a car here. It allows students who don’t have access to transportation the opportunity to be able to taste food in the area,” Taubman said. 

At the same time, some FAU students such as Skyler Cicero, a sophomore majoring in finance, suggested further enhancements they want to see implemented, such as a more extensive menu that accommodates a wider range of dietary needs. Cicero highlighted the need for a wider range of food options.

“I personally don’t have any dietary restrictions, but for people who do, it’s probably disappointing to see a new restaurant being added that doesn’t cater to them as well. I think it’s important to have a wide variety of options so everyone has the opportunity to always eat something different on campus,” he said.

Other restaurants on campus, such as Panda Express, Sushi Maki and Einstein’s, also have limited options for students with dietary restrictions, which raises further concerns about inclusivity in dining choices.

While a few students still miss the familiarity of Pizza Hut, many agree that the change brings higher-quality food options to campus. Emily Culkar, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, mentioned how she liked the campus Pizza Hut.

“This might be a hot take but I loved Pizza Hut because it reminded me of movie night with my family,” she said. She added that she found the variety of ingredients and toppings at the new restaurant exciting.

In addition to the pizza change, students are also talking about Dunkin’s move to a new location on campus. Previously, Dunkin’ was located on the first floor of the S.E. Wimberly Library. It is now being relocated to the space formerly occupied by Chick-fil-A, just outside the library to the East.

According to a University Press story from August 2024, university spokesperson Jonathan Fraysure projected that the construction on the Dunkin’ would be completed by January 2025. However, as of now, the project appears far from finished which has left students upset and asking questions on when they will finally see the doors open.

The current location of the Dunkin’ has been a source of mixed feelings among students, with some finding it inconvenient due to the restricted access if they forget their Owl Card such as Madison Montgomery, a sophomore majoring in communication studies.

“I’ve been waiting for Dunkin’ to open up,” she said. “The new location is definitely more convenient now that you don’t have to have your owl card, and it’s right off the breezeway, but I just wish [FAU] would give us a clearer timeline for when we can actually grab our coffee.” 

Isabelle Grondin, a sophomore majoring in marketing,  expressed how her excitement for the new location has shifted over time. 

“At first, I was excited, but now it’s been months of waiting with nothing being said; the anticipation is gone,” she said. Despite the frustration from some students about the delays, others are looking forward to the opening of the new location.

“I’m excited for it to open, especially since it’s right off the breezeway,” said Jailyn Como, a freshman majoring in business marketing. “I’m not a Starbucks person, so adding another option is great.”

“I’m excited for it to open, especially since it’s right off the breezeway,” said Jailyn Como, a freshman majoring in business marketing. “I’m not a Starbucks person, so adding another option is great.”

While the changes to campus dining have created excitement, students still see room for improvement in their overall dining experience. A frequent complaint from students is the food court’s limited hours, as most restaurants, including Sushi Maki, Manhattan Joe’s Pizza, Panda Express and The Market at Breezeway, close by 5 p.m. and Einstein’s closes at 3 p.m.. 

Students such as Blake Grimming, a junior majoring in finance, believes that the limited hours of campus dining options is an issue for students who attend classes at night. With most restaurants closing it leaves only Tacos El Carbon open until 7 p.m. and Chick-fil-A until 8 p.m. To make matters worse, the entire food court is closed on weekends.

“They gotta extend at least a handful of places for the night classes. No place is open at night,” Grimming said. 

Similarly, Natalia Kuppers, a sophomore majoring in health sciences, shares her frustration with the food court closing early in coordination with her school schedule.

“I have a class that gets out at 6:20 p.m. so the food court being closed is inconvenient when I leave class hungry,” she said.

Ashley Percifield, a freshman majoring in nursing and minoring in health administration, expressed frustration with the lack of weekend options.

 “The dining hall gets old quick, and the closure of most restaurants in the food court on the weekend is dumb,” she said. “If you don’t have a car and you’re a freshman, where are you supposed to eat?” she said.

Jada Strayer is a Contributing Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, you can contact Strayer at [email protected] or DM jadastrayer on Instagram