A new food station serving food free of nine major allergens is among the changes students will find next fall when renovations are completed at the Upper Commons dining hall, according to plans shared with the Hawks’ Herald. John King, Vice President of Student Life, and James Gubata, the general manager of Bon Appetit at RWU, had a lot to share about the planned updates in an interview.

Two new food stations, the elimination of the sandwich station, and new carpeting are among the changes in plans developed with input from students and staff over the last 18 months, both Gubata and King said in an interview with the Hawks’ Herald. Upper Commons originally opened in 2006 and hasn’t been renovated since.

The two new stations include an allergen-friendly station, Oasis, and a cooking station, Craft & Create. Oasis will be free of the nine major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts,  wheat, soybeans, and sesame). In addition, it will be free of barley and rye. Although the station will not feature any gluten, the station cannot be deemed “gluten-free” as other kitchens will still use gluten. But it will be much safer for those with Celiac disease and other people with highly sensitive allergies.

The second station addition is Cook & Create, a unique hands-on cooking station where students can prepare their own meals. This station will feature eight induction burners and a selection of pre-cooked proteins, which will allow students to customize stir fry, eggs, pasta, and more. In case students need any help cooking, there will always be at least one dining hall staff member there to assist, said both King and Gubata.

Designed not just for dining, Cook & Create will also serve as a teaching kitchen, hosting cooking demonstrations and life skills classes during dining hall slow periods. For these sessions, Gubata plans to have ‘TV style’ cooking cameras and screens so students can better follow along with the instructors.

Safety measures are especially emphasized in the Cook & Create station to make it safe for all those with allergies. Pans and utensils will be washed between uses with a certified cleaning process to eliminate gluten contamination, ensuring a safer environment for students with celiac disease. Induction burners will be temperature-regulated to prevent hazards, and no knives or raw meat will be used at the station. 

There will also be safety training for the staff working at Oasis, making sure the foods are prepared safely for those with any of the nine major allergens. An RWU student with celiac disease shared, “Eating with allergies and celiac disease can be very stressful as one wrong move could lead to a serious and sometimes even life threatening reaction. Having a space being dedicated gluten-free would go a long way to making people with food restrictions feel safer eating at upper, and can help combat some of the stigma around food allergies and other food restrictions. “

To add these two stations, John and Gubata mentioned the sandwich station will be removed. Gubata said that since the addition of the Deli in Lower Commons, the Upper sandwich station has been in much less demand. Students with allergies have requested the replacement of this station with Oasis.

During the renovation, Upper Commons will be completely closed for the summer. To accommodate both students and staff on campus, dining services are working on transforming the Field House into a temporary dining space. Dining staff will also have additional kitchen options available at other campus locations, such as in the law school, lower commons, and even Baypoint dining if necessary.

Student input has been essential in shaping these plans, reflecting the community’s needs, according to King. With around 1 million meals served annually, according to Gubata, these updates aim to enhance the dining experience for all. Gubata added that the “Dining management team and staff are very excited,” and King shared that “the goal is to have a best-in-class dining experience and best-in-class dining hall.”