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Hungry for Answers: Southern clarifies this year's meal plan changes for students
Students serve themselves at the hot deck in the Dining Hall. Wednesday, September 2, 2026. (Photo by Katie McConnell.)
Chloe Smith Editor-In-Chief Less than a month before the first day of classes, Southern Adventist University administration sent a mass email announcing significant changes to campus dining options. Students were surprised to learn that meal plan funds would no longer apply at the Village Market (VM), while The Kayak smoothie shop inside the Hulsey Wellness Center would be closing. The email, which was sent to all students on July 28, explained that meal plans would be concentrated in three dining locations: the Dining Hall, CK2 and The Garden. The university explained that this would allow Food
Services to “focus its resources on providing consistent hours, dependable service, and a strong variety of meals and menu options throughout the week, while keeping meal plan costs as low as possible.” According to Justin Moore, associate vice president for Business Operations and Risk Management, the decision was made due to the financial performance of Food Services in recent years. “The reality is that our food service program as a whole was struggling financially, and meal plan dollars spent at the VM was a significant part of that,” Moore stated in an email to the Accent. “Meal plan spending was spread across a number of different locations, which was not financially sustainable. After
careful and prayerful consideration, it was decided that we need to focus on the three primary Food Services venues on campus.” Moore said the university had been monitoring the program’s finances for some time. “Food service is core to how we take care of our students,” he stated, “so when we looked at the full picture, we had to make some difficult decisions to protect the long-term health of the program.” Despite starting the semester with a lower enrollment of new students, Moore said the changes had been under consideration before Administration was aware of the enrollment numbers. “These are really two separate issues.
This particular decision wasn't tied to enrollment numbers — it came down to making sure we're being as efficient as possible with our resources, especially when budgets are tight,” Moore stated. Moore explained that Administration evaluates every area of campus on a regular basis. The Kayak and the Village Market were removed as dining options due to their significant impact on the budget. “Both locations weren't generating enough revenue to keep pace with the rising cost of food and supplies, which made them difficult to sustain longterm,” Moore stated. Other locations like the Dining Hall, See Meal Plan Changes on page 3
“These are difficult decisions, and we know we won't make everyone happy." - Justin Moore