Dunkin’ Donuts, a Tex-Mex spot called Copperhead Jack’s and Jimmy John’s are all slated to open in the new Student Union next spring. TeaCo and Halal Shack will be joining them in the new building with more space for their locations as well.
All of this and more was revealed on April 8 in Artemis Hall during UTD Dining’s The Food Chat event. Chartwells’ resident district manager for UTD Nick Norris was the primary speaker sharing his thoughts on the future of on-campus dining at UTD. Norris said that the five new locations in the Student Union will coincide with the new Starbucks opening in JSOM III this upcoming fall.
With the new Starbucks, we want to make sure we’re on the right foot to meet student needs.
— Nick Norris, Chartwells UTD district manager
“With Tradecraft closing down, we’ve started to put in a new Starbucks there,” Norris said. “JSOM is the busiest academic complex we have on campus, and with this new third wing we expect it will only get busier. With the new Starbucks, we want to make sure we’re on the right foot to meet student needs.”
Norris said that the new Halal Shack location will not only provide students with the new taco option, which is already available at the Halal Shack in the Comet Café, but it will also include Baba’s Pizza which offers halal pizza as a brand under the Halal Shack umbrella.
“Halal Shack is our busiest restaurant by far,” Norris said. “It is even busier than Chick-fil-A from a sales perspective.”
Norris and Director of Food and Retail Services Pam Stanley discussed how long lines were a constant they were hoping to break with the new Student Union alongside more technological integration for their customizable menus. Norris said that various locations on campus already offered Boost mobile ordering services which cut down on the time spent in line for students. Norris said that he hoped spreading out the dining locations would also limit how long lines got.
We are working very diligently to solve these line problems because we know just how long they can get.
— Nick Norris
“We are working very diligently to solve these line problems because we know just how long they can get,” Norris said. “My team knows I hate lines. They just drive me crazy.”
Halal Shack isn’t the only location getting a substantial size increase. TeaCo will have more cooking equipment and has already brought on a chef that will specialize in meals not already on their menu which students will be able to buy at the new TeaCo campus location.
“One of the commitments they made to us this semester was that they would begin building up their ability to provide more than just drinks and their current dishes,” Norris said.
The Come Café area, which currently houses Halal Shack, TeaCo and Firehouse Subs, is set to close once the new student union is complete. The entire area will be returned to the Student Union. Dining officials at the event expect that it will be converted into storage or more seating space. Executive chef Thomas To said that the kitchen space would remain for possible future needs.
Norris said that with national brands like Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express, the university and Chartwells did not get much of a say as to how much each item cost.
We don’t have a lot of control over, really, any of our national brands.
— Nick Norris
“They give us a price to put it at,” Norris said. “We don’t have a lot of control over, really, any of our national brands.”
Norris said that when brands “get too crazy in their pricing,” the university can always reconsider whether they are kept on campus. Norris said Chick-Fil-A was considering a price increase to their menu for next semester.
Dining marketing director Madeline Anthony said that students with concerns, complaints or suggestions can use the happy or sad stand in Dining Hall West, or contact UTD Dining directly via email, phone or Instagram.