Prior to this year, junior psychology major Warby Clark frequented Steak N’ Shake when looking for a sweet treat during late-night study sessions.
“It’s like, after everything is shut down, I know they’re open until 11,” Clark said. “I’m walking there to get something sweet so that I can stay awake a little bit longer and focus on whatever I’m working on.”
Over the summer, the fast-food diner that once offered a late-night dining option to students closed to make room for the expansion of the Mississippi State University Transportation office, and renovations are well on their way.
After a long summer with many changes being made to the parking system on campus, Jeremiah Dumas, the Executive Director of Transportation at MSU, said that the extra space is extremely needed.
“The Office of Transportation has needed office and meeting spaces for several years,” Dumas said. “We have been out of space for some time and look forward to having the space needed to properly function.”
Dumas said that the renovations will include office spaces, a conference room, a large team meeting room and work room. Construction is scheduled for completion on the Roberts Building by February 2026.
The MSU Post Office remains operational in the building during the renovations, and the parking lot outside of the Roberts Building will return to a metered model once construction is completed.
As students look for a way to fill the hole in late-night dining presented by Steak ‘N Shake’s absence, MSU Dining Services has presented one alternative. The Lock Box, a ghost kitchen located within the new Azalea Marketplace, is open from 4-11 p.m. every day of the week.
While Steak ‘N Shake was known for its steak burgers, milkshakes and beef tallow fries, The Lock Box instead offers a ghost kitchen model with a constantly changing menu. The menu currently features two options: a Philly cheesesteak combo and a fried chicken tenders combo, both of which come with fries and a drink.
Since The Lock Box is a ghost kitchen, students must order on the Grubhub app, as there is no kiosk or register present to take orders. This makes the restaurant similar to the food trucks that were present on campus last year, specifically the Perry Food Truck, which would rotate menu items that students could then spend Block Meals on.
Dining Services did not respond to a request for comment on the removal of Steak ‘N Shake from campus.
Several freshmen students who currently live on campus said that they were disappointed to find the location no longer open.
Ian Gardner, a freshman communication major, said that his friend group was sad to find out that Steak ‘N Shake was no longer there when they moved into their residence halls in August.
“I was very upset when I found out they shut down right before I moved here,” Gardner said. “I live in McKee, so that would’ve just been a hop and a skip away.”
However, Gardner said he has enjoyed the new Azalea Dining options, including The Lock Box.
Jayvyn Claxton, a friend of Gardner and a freshman building construction science major, said that he feels like the food is higher quality at The Lock Box than other MSU dining locations because of the ghost kitchen model, where employees can exclusively focus on cooking.
“It definitely works better, much better, because it gives them more time to get your food out to you quicker,” Claxton said. “They just put it in the box for you, and you just put the code in to get it.”
Claxton’s only complaint was that, as far as he has seen, the menu at The Lock Box has not changed since school started.
