Marshall University dining hall gets a facelift

At the ripe old age of 11 years, a prominent dining hall on Marshall University's campus is getting a $1 million makeover.

Work began on Harless Dining Hall on May 18, and when the renovation is complete, students will have a new dining space designed to make them so comfortable they will visit the dining hall even when they aren't hungry, predicted John Yaun, director of housing and residence life at Marshall.

The project was one that had been in the works for a few years, Yaun said.

"We were looking at trying to figure out how to open the space up a bit," Yaun said. "We wanted to make it more comfortable for students, offer some more options for food stations. It was on our agenda that it was something we could complete, but it took a couple of years to come to fruition."

The renovation in the dining hall, which seats between 370 and 380 people, is being paid for completely by Sodexo, the food service and facilities management company that provides food services for the university.

The renovation is expected to be complete by Monday, Aug. 10, nine days before students are set to move back to campus on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Employees with Huntington-based E.P. Leach and Sons are doing the construction work on the building that opened in January 2004.

The renovation is affecting both the dining and food preparation areas of the building, said Cheryl King, Sodexo general manager.

The dining area is being reconfigured to include different areas, including high-top tables, lounge areas and booths, giving the space a more casual, restaurant-like feel, Yaun said.

"In terms of student services, we're going to offer an even more comfortable atmosphere than is currently available," Yaun said. "Students will be able to go in there and have a variety of areas and options to eat in. We also want it to be an area where students might not even want to come for a meal, but they want to come in and hang out."

Harless previously had a more cafeteria-like seating.

The dining hall still will have its popular self-serve food stations, but the renovation is allowing a little more wiggle room for students and the food service personnel to operate.