Subway opening delayed

By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Dinkins’ basement under renovation, popular deli will reopen in spring

Don’t look for a $5 foot-long just yet.

Originally scheduled to open in Dinkins’ basement after Fall Break, Subway will not open its doors until the spring semester, according to an e-mail drafted and delivered by President Anthony DiGiorgio.

The e-mail, which was sent to university faculty and staff last Thursday, explained that ARAMARK and Subway had to overcome “challenges” to the food preparation facilities in Dinkins before installing a new restaurant in the former student center’s basement. 

Said challenges included renovating Dinkins to a single location dining hall, said Pam Yurkovic, director for Dining Services.

“There are certain specifications that Subway requires at all of its branded locations,” Yurkovic said. 

Facilities and Dining Services are “working hard” to make sure that these requirements are met, she said.

Those same renovations are taking longer than first anticipated, Yurkovic said, but “we hope to open the location in the coming months.”

Yurkovic’s comments mirror those made by DiGiorgio, who said in his e-mail that there have been changes in the state engineer’s requirements since the original food court in Dinkins was installed years ago—hence, a delay while ARMARK and Subway work to respond to those changes.

“…Those [challenges] now appear to have been overcome by ARAMARK and Subway’s willingness to invest in making some upgrades to the food prep facilities in Dinkins,” DiGiorgio said in the e-mail. 

ARAMARK and Subway were expected to begin making those changes this week, DiGiorgio said, and Subway should be on target for a spring opening.

Still, Dining Services is unable to provide an exact open date at this point in construction, Yurkovic said.

Before the opening of the DiGiorgio Campus Center and Markley’s Food Court, a Subway restaurant was housed in Dinkins, the university’s original student center for a number of years.

Once Markley’s opened, Subway—along with several other Dinkins eateries—shut down shop.

Last November, The Johnsonian reported that Dining Services representatives were scoping locations on campus to put in a new Subway. At that time, they had nothing to confirm.

This past August, Dining Services issued a press release stating that Subway would return to campus sometime this semester.

During a Council of Student Leaders meeting in September, CSL Chair Kambrell Garvin relayed news that the university expected Subway to reopen after Fall Break.

Now, the timetable has been set for the spring.

Back in August, Marketing Assistant for Dining Services Ashley Kinnaird said they took student opinion into account when considering whether to bring Subway back to campus. 

“We survey students each semester as well as meet with students one-on-one throughout the year, getting some feedback on items they are interested in seeing at the dining facilities,” Kinnaird said then. 

Having healthy food options is key on a college campus, and Subway stands as a pretty good choice, said Elizabeth Weikle, professor of nutrition.

Yet, Jared’s favorite sandwich shop wouldn’t be the perfect solution to a healthy lifestyle.

“A student would still have to go to Subway and make those healthy choices,” Weikle said. “Students can still make unhealthy choices if [they] put a lot of mayonnaise or high fat meats and cheeses on it [a sub].”

Still, having low-fat choices is better than having no choices at all.

“…If you don’t have the choices, you’re only left with maybe high fat foods or fried foods,” Weikle said. 

On a national scale, Weikle said she feels the population is becoming more aware of their health, whether that comes through better food choices, more exercise or more sleep.

On the college level, students enter a pivotal moment in life where they’re able to make all their own choices, she said.

Senior English major Crystal Knappenberger made Subway her choice once or twice a week when it was in Dinkins, she said.

After finding out that Subway would not be returning until the spring, Knappenberger said she was “disappointed.”

Compared to current on-campus dining options, Subway is “way better,” she said, and “has more flavor.” 

“You have more options in Subway than all of [the] restaurants in Markley’s,” she said.