Gourmet Dining Services (GDS) has reintroduced chicken nuggets to the rotating menu at the Chef’s Table after replacing them with grilled cheese and quesadillas in September.
On Oct. 13, GDS announced the change on Instagram.
“You asked, we listened,” they wrote. “Wednesdays just got a whole lot better!”
Chicken nuggets are a comfort food staple at dining halls in universities all over the country—Seton Hall once offered them daily. Why did GDS remove them from SHU’s dining hall?
Edward Mallaney, the resident district manager of GDS, said the change was made to give students healthier, balanced menu options.
“Conversations, mainly with parents and other directors as a follow-up, were used to brainstorm ideas for offering fried food options on a cycle menu as opposed to an everyday option,” Mallaney said.
The rotating schedule for in-between meals is as follows:
Monday: Grilled cheese
Tuesday: Chicken nuggets
Wednesday: Cheese quesadillas
Thursday: Chicken nuggets
Friday: Pizza bagels with pepperoni
Saturday: Chicken nuggets
Sunday: Grilled ham & cheese
Chicken nuggets, along with fries, seasonal vegetables, and macaroni and cheese, will continue to be offered every Wednesday at the Chef’s Table, the dining hall’s station that features varying options daily.
“This provides students with another opportunity to enjoy this popular item in a balanced and appealing meal,” Mallaney said.
Students have mixed opinions about GDS’s decision to make these menu changes.
Margaret Fisher, a junior theatre and visual and sound media major, said she thinks that chicken nuggets should be available for students daily and it’s a fast meal option.
“In my two previous years at Seton Hall, I’ve been able to go into the dining hall, grab a cup of chicken nuggets, or a plate of chicken nuggets, eat them really quickly before my next class in 15 minutes,” Fisher said.
Fisher emphasizes that the convenience of chicken nuggets is important to college culture.
“As a [university] tour guide, we advertise that station to be open all the time for our students, and [will] have something that most people like available,” Fisher continued.
Angelina Coreschi, a sophomore art design and interactive media major, said the new GDS menu announcement is “a great idea” so students won’t go hungry during the time between lunch and dinner hours.
“I know there’s food open,” Coreschi said.
However, GDS’s daily menu options are lacking in healthier options.
“I don’t really want a burger in the middle of the day,” Coreschi said.
Fisher also commented that the daily menu options are not friendly to students with dietary restrictions.
“The other options that we offer both include cheese, so even students who are lactose intolerant won’t be able to have…chicken nuggets to eat at all,” Fisher added.
Sheena Ravoori, a sophomore diplomacy major, said the new GDS menu announcement sounds positive.
“I like mac and cheese, so I’m excited for that,” Ravoori said.
Ravoori also expressed happiness regarding the Chef’s Table selection and in-between meal menu options.
“I’m glad they have that because I like that there’s a schedule for the food, otherwise it’s like a hit or miss,” Ravoori said.
For students who are occupied during regular meal-time hours, like Coreschi, they may find the new rotating variety of food options convenient.
”I find it efficient because I don’t have to be hungry in between my classes since my schedule is busy and I cannot come to the cafeteria during the normal mealtimes,” Coreschi said.
Long lines at the Chef’s Table can be expected, as students are eager to try the new chicken nuggets, as Mark Domingo, a sophomore interprofessional health science major, said the line prohibited him from getting to try the new menu options.
To stay up to date with what is on the menu, GDS’s Instagram stories help students follow along with what meals are being served at other stations, too.
Domingo said that the stories help keep him informed about the menu.
“It’s good to have a schedule so at least we know what to expect ahead of time,” Domingo said.
Having a steady staple food is important to the dining hall culture here at SHU. GDS hopes to provide students with more opportunities to enjoy chicken nuggets in a balanced way with the menu changes.
Keira Bala is a videographer for The Setonian’s Photography section. She can be reached at keira.bala@student.shu.edu.
