Michigan Tech’s Housing and Dining Services are planning to convert the DHH dining hall into a “ghost kitchen” similar to the Campus Cafe, replacing the traditional buffet-style experience with a mobile ordering and pickup system.
The proposed changes would make DHH the only residence hall dining facility on campus to adopt this model, while other locations, such as Wadsworth Hall and McNair Hall, would remain unchanged. Students would order meals through a mobile app, pay using their meal swipes, and pick up their food from designated lockers once notified that their order is ready.
University officials say the shift is intended to improve convenience, reduce waiting times, and expand customizable meal options. “Everything would be online. … [Students] would order food online, then swipe for food,” HuskyEats representatives explained during a meeting. Meals would be available any time between 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, eliminating traditional meal breaks. The concept of made-to-order items would include breakfast sandwiches, pasta, rice bowls, and burgers, all customizable in the app. Food is expected to be prepared quickly, with one official saying that it “takes eight to 12 minutes to prepare food,” and the system is designed to be “quick and convenient.”
The announcement received a mixed response among student leaders in residence hall government, according to outgoing Douglass Houghton Hall Council (DHHC) President, Dustin Krontz. Some concerns named by DHHC and Inter-residence Housing Council (IRHC) members include limits to meal swipe usage and decreased food choices, among others. “It feels to me like it’s targeted more towards off-campus students; just having that option on this end of campus,” said Krontz. “But I know that a lot of other residents in our building [DHH] have shared a little bit of displeasure with it feeling like it’s kind of a downgrade for options and portion sizes.”
Dave Banker from Chartwells claimed that the transition “probably won’t change the number of jobs; staff will still be needed.” Sustainability was also highlighted, with compostable packaging planned for all meals. Concerns include food consistency, dietary accommodations, and the lack of buffet-style options such as salad bars. Dining officials said the program will launch with a limited menu to ensure quality before expanding offerings based on student feedback.
No official timeline for the transition has been established. Students with questions are urged to contact Housing and Dining Services or campus dining representatives for more information. Krontz added, “Depending on where they live, [students] could reach out to their hall government or IRHC. Aside from that, they could probably reach directly out to Chartwells, because they seemed more than willing to answer any questions or concerns or hear feedback about the upcoming plans.”
