Trying to accommodate a decreasing customer base and the expanding competition from private eateries around campus, the University permanently closed Stouffer Commons Dining Hall this summer.
As more and more students head to the approximately 140 retail establishments around campus, the need for all-you-can-eat dining options has decreased. And with Stouffer deemed the least efficient of the University's dining halls, Penn selected it as the facility that would be cut.
"A lot of students had complaints about Stouffer, and rightfully so," Campus Dining Services Marketing Manager Mary Ruggiero said. The future of the former dining hall has not yet been determined.
Ruggiero said that keeping Stouffer open and running efficiently would have required a renovation process that is not financially feasible for the University.
Stouffer accounted for over one-third of the seats available in the four dining halls that were open last year. Of the 2,265 seats total, 850 were in Stouffer.
But according to Dining Services, data generated by a national industry consultant showed that Penn needs a maximum of 1,247 seats during peak dinner period to accommodate all of its customers. Without Stouffer, Penn still has 1,415 seats.
The decision to close the facility was made with the involvement of the Dining Advisory Board and Undergraduate Assembly chairwoman Dana Hork, a College senior.
While Stouffer was widely criticized for its poor aesthetics and inefficiency, it was the closest dining hall to the heart of campus. And its proximity to the Quadrangle made it convenient for freshmen -- those students now required to have meal plans.
Students now living in the Quad will have to venture to other dining halls for their meals, the closest being Class of 1920 Commons.
Ruggiero noted that closing a dining hall in such close proximity to freshmen is a loss for students.
"It is close to such a large group of people, and the freshmen," she said. "And that's the most unfortunate part."
However, Ruggiero emphasized that new express options for both breakfast and lunch in McClelland Hall will provide close and convenient dining options for Quad residents now that Stouffer is closed.
Express breakfast and lunch options will additionally be available in 1920 Commons in the area that used to be occupied by Chats.
Without question, Stouffer's closure will have an effect on the college house system, which was designed to foster community among residents partly through the dining system. Now, there will be a designated area in Kings Court Dining Hall for residents of Spruce College House, while other Quad residents will have designated areas in 1920 Commons.
"It isn't perfect," said David Brownlee, director of College Houses and Academic Service, who also noted that the new express breakfast and lunch service in McClelland Hall is another option for Quad residents.
However, with a greater development of express options, there is also some concern that these options will deter students from eating their meals in the community setting the dining halls are designed to facilitate.
"The lack of individual dining rooms is a concern," Brownlee said. But "I don't think this is going to invent a new demand for express meals, this is just serving that [existing] demand."
Stouffer's closure will not force layoffs of full-time employees, Vice President of Business Services Lee Nunery said. However, those who work on a part-time basis may be affected by the closure.
But Nunery emphasized that Penn's dining program is still strong.
"We still have... very high and very robust dining options," he said.
A final decision has yet to be made regarding what will fill the space Stouffer Dining once occupied. Nunery said several options are being considered, including using the area for performing arts space or office space. A decision will likely be made in the next couple of months.
