One of the most questionable and controversial things on Piedmont’s Demorest campus has got to be the dining hall. From flies being on food to suddenly being a high-class place to eat, Chartwells has never been able to keep the consistency of the dining hall intact.

One Constant factor we have noticed is that when rolling out food, Chartwells never forgets to serve burgers, no matter what day it is, and continues to throw out the same formula of food throughout the week.

It seems even the classic bait and switch strategy has been implemented to attract future students. High-class meals are on display during special Piedmont events such as Freshman Orientation. Low-quality food returns throughout the rest of the school year.
We are all aware that Chartwells is a business, and they must do whatever they can to make profits as a business should do, but we should be valued since we are the source of the business throughout the school year. Nevertheless, whenever the café is not held to its standards, we let Chartwells know by posting our opinions on the Piedmont app and we let them hear it!

“Am I the only person that thinks the food at the café is outrageously bad for the price we pay per year?” said sophomore Jason-Lee Vaughan, a student who lives on campus.

As it stands, even if we didn’t want to eat at the café, all students who live on campus are required to have a meal plan, with the cheapest plan being “seven meals per week.” Many of us would argue and say the plan is anything but cheap since it is estimated to be around $1,581 per semester. This is why we, as students, continue to press and demand the quality of food throughout the year, and not just for special events or Sunday brunch when the church visitors stop on by for a meal.

Don’t get us wrong though, Chartwells has definitely attended to these issues in the past by providing surveys and committee meetings to address our individual concerns and complaints. And we’re grateful. But the issue is constant and there needs to be a permanent solution.