Mississippi State University’s recent dining updates will bring major changes to student dining as locations are set to open in August.
In addition to three dining options opening in Azalea Residence Hall, Perry Cafeteria will reopen as Perry Food Hall in August, replacing Perry’s former all-you-can-eat system with individual dining concepts providing both block meal and retail options and opening the space up to all students. The renovations to Perry and the construction of Azalea are expected to cost approximately $130 million combined.
MSU Student Association President Cameron Cummings did a walk-through of Perry on April 9. Cummings said that although the changes to Perry are significant, the aesthetic and nostalgia previously attached to the building are still there.
“I think Perry has changed drastically, but I also think it still holds that same feel,” Cummings said.
The new kitchens within Perry are 1921 Café, which will serve traditional southern foods, The Beet Drop, which will serve as a salad bar and vegan/vegetarian option, and Bark, which will serve barbecue, smoked food and grilled items. Starbucks will also move from the Colvard Student Union to the Perry Food Hall over the summer.
Inside Perry, the historic columns, windows and vaulted wood-beam ceiling remain. The flags representing international students’ home countries, however, have been taken down. Instead, wooden arches on the columns in Perry will feature flags from each country.
According to Cummings and Aramark Resident District Manager James Jankowski, the removal of the flags allows for much more natural light to enter the building. Jankowski also said that maintenance of the flags was a problem when they were hanging near the ceiling and that having the flags on the columns allows for more countries to be represented.
“This will really honor all those students,” Jankowski said. “It’s a clean way to still keep the tradition.”
A new glass dining area and balcony on Perry Food Hall’s north end will connect it to retail dining spaces Bento Sushi and Subway and the newly renovated spaces for State Fountain Bakery and Moe’s Southwest Grill. According to Jankowski, the glass serves to expand Perry while keeping the original architecture visible as required by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
On the north end of campus, the Azalea Residence Hall will bring three new block meal and retail dining options. These include Mezza, which will serve Mediterranean and Greek food, State Slice, which will serve customized pizzas, and a ghost kitchen, which will have a new menu every month and serve food through new “food lockers.”
MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt stated that part of the need for renovations to Perry, which was originally constructed in 1921, was due to its aging infrastructure.
“Perry is like a gem on campus. Everybody loves that building, but it hadn’t had a lot of love, so to speak, in terms of its infrastructure,” Hyatt said. “And so if we wanted to continue using it as a dining facility, there had to be major work done.”
Jankowski said that Perry’s kitchens have been heavily renovated, allowing for more extensive food offerings. For example, the new kitchen Bark will have access to a true wood smoker, which would not have been possible before renovations.
“We wanted to have flexibility so as trends change, we have kitchens that we can change with,” Jankowski said. “You know, with how it was, we were kind of stuck in the footprint we were in.”
Jankowski also said that the dining expansion is expected to add approximately 100 employees to MSU Dining’s headcount of 320.
Cummings offered insight into the change to the dining format in Perry, saying that although it may take some students time to adjust to, the positive changes to the dining experience in Perry Cafeteria will alleviate the negative feelings.
“I think the only negative that students will give is they’re upset about not being able to get all-you-can-eat, but I think there are so many positive things that are coming from the Perry and the renovations,” Cummings said. “I mean, I don’t know anyone that’s not excited to see them.”
