Students and faculty returning to campus noticed some significant changes at the Grille, a go-to spot for grabbing a quick drink and snack. These small changes offer look into a continuous string of changes planned for space.  

Earlier this year, the Grille made major changes in response to Hill community feedback. One of the most evident changes was the addition of Wawa and Dunkin’ coffee, replacing the previous Don Francisco coffee brands offered. 

“We receive feedback from the Culinary Council which collects direct suggestions from the student body, and we implement them to the Grille and the dining hall,” Lisa Demetrio, Sodexo general manager, said. 

However, this change seemed to have divided opinions across campus. “I believe the new Grille products are not as good as last year, especially the drinks,” Lola Palmer ’25 said in disappointment.  

On the other hand, some responded mildly to the change. “I think that the Grille change this year is expected,” Chelsea Kuang ’25 said. “Just like in other years, there have always been some changes.”  

While some were adjusting and experimenting with the new switch-up. “I don’t think I can speak to any of those,” Sarah Vukas, instructor of science, said. “I am not a coffee drinker and usually only get a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich or a muffin when I go. But I have heard from other teachers that they like the Wawa coffee.” 

In addition to the coffee changes, all Coke products replaced the original Pepsi drinks. The Grille had also expanded its snack options, offering more varieties of candies and chips. An ice cream novelty freezer was placed in the campus store, as part of some changes. For some students, these changes had been positive. “I like that there are more options for food,” Alyssa Diwale ’25 shared. In addition, “I love the new candies,” Remi Helms ’26 added. 

On the other hand, some familiar items disappeared. Fruit cups with strawberries, pineapples, and grapes were no longer available in the fridge, a change that hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I don’t like how there’s never fresh fruit in the fridge anymore,” Helms continued.  

Additionally, soda options had increased, with more tea choices, and SmartWater in replacement of the previous Deer Park bottled water which was a local Pennsylvania brand.  

In the upcoming years, Sodexo developed a plan to extend the opening hours to allow people to utilize it more often. Besides this, “students will then be able to order on kiosks just like those in Wawa,” Demetrio said. Furthermore, Sodexo planned to install a full range of Starbucks products by the ping pong table when enough funding became available.  

For now, the Grille and the Student Center remained a hub of campus life, enhancing relationships to flow through conversations between students, and offering refreshments to power through the day, even as the product lineup evolves. 

“Our goal is to be able to serve whatever that’s on Doordash here,” Demetrio said. “We are here to make you guys happy.”