Wake Forest University Food Options
In 1946, Wake Forest University moved to its current location in Winston-Salem. At the time, the university only had two food options: Shorty’s and it’s cafeteria — what is now known as ‘the Pit’ due to it’s location in the basement of Reynolda Hall. Since then, the locations where students can grab a snack or meal on campus have multiplied to include chains like Chick-fil-a, Subway, and Moe’s as well as school-specific restaurants like Zick’s and Shorty’s.
In the food court in Benson and next to Subway on the upper quad, there are small stores with over-priced food and necessities like deodorant so students without cars have access to the items they need. A second cafeteria was also added in January 2014 and has since been named one of the top 36 dinning halls in North America. Most recently, the institution has responded to student feedback and chosen to expand vegetarian and vegan options in the Pit as well as add a Chobani yogurt bar.
Aramark is the company that provides Wake Forest with almost all of its food services — from the meals served at the Pit to the catering at campus events. The food is delicious, and the company uses local produce whenever possible. According to its website, Aramark tries to limit waste on campus by recycling and offering trayless dining. With the large number of students and faculty cycling through the dining halls each day, small changes like this have large impacts environmentally. The new dining hall on North Campus is also LEED-certified meaning that it uses less water, energy, and natural resources. It also composts all of its trash. However, many students are disgusted with the university’s use of Aramark as a food service provider.
“I wouldn’t mind Aramark if they didn’t monopolize the school,” said Amanda Kim, 22.
Students are required to use Aramark to cater functions put on by Wake Forest affiliated organizations. Recently, Lila Franco, a Wake Forest senior who grew up in Venezuela, worked with the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) to put on an event featuring Hispanic food.
“The food was good,” Franco admitted. “But it would have been better to have a traditional flavor.”
Other students’ dislike of Aramark stems from the way they treat their employees. Many of the workers at the Pit have been seen by student volunteers at food banks on the weekends because their jobs at Wake Forest do not pay enough. Other students claim that the food establishments on campus are also understaffed which makes it harder on the employees.
“It’d be great if we got rid of Aramark since they don’t pay their employees livable wages,” said Madeline Coffey, a history major at Wake Forest. “I think having ethical options is important.”
While many social justice activists on Wake Forest’s campus and across the country take issue with Aramark, many other students are unaware of these issues and have different concerns about their food options.
“I wish we had Chinese,” commented Franco. “Get rid of Boar’s Head or the salad place and put in Chinese.”
Others argue that “we should get rid of Moe’s,” you know, because “everyone goes to Chipotle anyway.” Of course, the nearest Chipotle is 5.2 miles away which isn’t really walking distance for those without vehicles. Plus, some students are just too busy with schoolwork to go through the hassle of driving somewhere.
“I wish Zick’s delivered to dorms,” Ciara Appelbaum said. Zick’s is located on the Upper Quad (Hearn Plaza) on the first floor of Poteat, an upperclassmen dorm. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the freshmen dorms and about 15 minutes from student apartments.
Wake Forest offers students multiple food options, from well-known chains and unhealthy treats to nutritional meals and unique restaurants. While there is some discontent with Wake Forest’s main food service provider and disagreement over which food options ought to stay and which ought to go, everyone can agree that there’s always delicious food available for students to enjoy somewhere on campus.