By Angela Alfano
Staff Writer
A food truck will arrive on campus shortly after spring break, according to Paul Carroll, Director of Operations for Aramark, the campus food provider. Caroll said that The Pioneer Food Wagon will essentially be a fortified golf cart, serving beverages, snacks, coffee, and hot and cold grab-and- go products. These items will be priced similarly to the food sold in the Hillwood Commons cafe. Carroll said that he is still in the early stages of finalizing the menu for the wagon.
According to LIU Post’s website, there are approximately 4,429 undergraduate students attending Post. With common hour lasting only an hour and a half, Hillwood Commons and the Winnick dining hall, the most popular areas on campus to get food, fill up quickly, causing long lines.
“I usually wait until an hour into common hour to get my lunch [at Hillwood]. That way I avoid the lines,” said Melissa Weisman, a senior Electronic Media major. Although Weisman is able to avoid the lines, she is then left with just 30 minutes to eat her lunch and meet with friends before her next class.
The Pioneer Food Wagon will minimize the lunch lines, and create opportunities for students and faculty members on the go to grab a quick snack between classes or meetings, according to Carroll. He said the food wagon was chosen for its versatility, and its ability to be moved around campus easily.
As of now, Carroll said the wagon will be parked on south campus at Lorber Hall, and have alternating routes throughout the academic week. The hours of operation are still being discussed; however, Carroll said he expects the hours of operation to be mornings, afternoons, and evenings Monday through Thursday, as well as limited hours on the weekends. Specific times are still pending due to employee availability.
“I think a food truck on campus would be an interesting feature,” said Paul Palacios, a junior Technology major. “I have a weird schedule where sometimes I don’t even have a common hour. A food truck would make things simpler than going into Hillwood and waiting on a long line for a water bottle and cup of fruit.”
The Pioneer Food Wagon is anticipated to be a student run business. Aramark will be employing students to operate the wagon and serve Aramark products. Carroll said he is looking for responsible students, with driver’s licenses, to operate the truck for the hours that it will be open.
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