What is “The Kettle?” And why does the dining hall look bigger?

The new name for Campion Dining Hall is “The Kettle,” which is a reference to the term for a flock of hawks. Besides the new name, the glass wall that separated the quieter “fish bowl” area from the rest of the dining hall has been torn down to create more open seating. Finally, the wall facing the P.O.D market has been completely replaced with windows.

What is the new station in The Kettle?

The new dining station is called True Balance, and it is completely free of milk, eggs, nuts, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, wheat, soy and sesame, the nine major food allergens. This station has its own kitchen to prevent any cross-contamination from other stations.

What happened to DB?

DB, which stands for Declining Balance, is the name many students use to refer to Campion Food Court. Over the summer, four new locations were added to DB: Moe’s, Jamba Juice, Auntie Anne’s and The Spread.

Instead of the old over-the-counter style of service, DB now has a ghost kitchen, which combines the food preparation areas for Hawk Wrap, Burgers and Fries, The Spread, Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice.

Moe’s and FoodLab are different, however. For these two choices, you can simply walk up to the counter and order the food you want.

How do I get a Hawk Wrap if I can’t go up to the counter?

It’s all about the new app, called Transact Mobile Order. To get an order from Hawk Wrap, Burgers and Fries, The Spread, Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice, you must use this app. In the app, you can choose whether you want to pay using Hawk Cash, dining dollars, declining balance or a meal exchange.

Michael Fiore ’27 said the ordering process surprised him, as it was much faster than he expected.

“It’s been quicker than I expected really,” Fiore said. “So I guess I have no complaints.”

Meanwhile, Natalie Parone ’27, had a more mixed experience.

“It took me 35 minutes to get a smoothie the other day, but then sometimes it’ll take two minutes,” Parone said. “So I think they’re still working on it.”

What are the lockers between Moe’s and FoodLab?

If you order your food through the mobile app, your meal will be placed in a “food locker” once it is ready. These are the boxes between Moe’s and FoodLab.

The lockers are temperature controlled, designed to keep your food the ideal temperature until you pick it up. When you are ready to get your food, you simply scan your receipt on the mobile app to open the locker box with your food.

Anthony Kuzma ’24 encountered problems with getting the lockers to function properly.

“I would scan my code and then it just wouldn’t open,” Kuzma said. “I’d have to go to the lady or the guy at the little window.”

In this situation, asking the employees for help is the best course of action.

Are any other changes coming?

A new cashier-less market called Quick Eats is opening in Post Learning Commons (PLC) on Sept. 15, which will allow students to order their food and drinks without checking out with a cashier. To enter the store, you have to swipe your St. Joe’s student ID, and the prices of the food will automatically be deducted from your Hawk Cash or Dining Dollars balance.

Additionally, in The Kettle, new vending machines similar to the food lockers will be installed as a means of providing pre-made hot meals for students. These machines will also be in the Campion Food Court, but will be kept separate from the food lockers.