Texas State opens new Den Food Co. venue to fill dining void on the east end of campus

Texas State University (TXST) students returning for the spring semester were greeted with a new dining venue featuring unique food trailers, expanded menu options and an updated outdoor dining space at the Den Food Co. The renovated space, which blends new concepts with familiar favorites, helps fill the dining void that previously existed on the east end of the TXST campus.

Operated by campus dining services provider Chartwells Higher Education, the new concepts include Absurd Bird Southern chicken, Greek/Mediterranean concept Pom & Honey and the Tea Co. boba tea shop, along with two food trailers— AJ’s Ranch Road Grill and The Salty, a gourmet donuts concept. Mainstays Papa John’s Pizza, Blimpie Sub Shop and Einstein Bros Bagels round out the roster of dining venues at Den Food Co.

Texas State is only the third campus in the country to get The Salty, and Director of Retail Operations Jay Smith says it’s the first true “sweet shop” on campus.

“It’s very on-trend and ‘Instagrammable,’” he notes. “A student sharing something like that on their social media feed does more to drive traffic than any email or flyer we can put out. It’s word of mouth in a whole new world.”

The other food trailer, AJ’s Road Ranch Grill, is a local barbecue restaurant concept. Both mobile outlets will arrive and depart daily and can also be moved to other parts of campus for athletic and other special events.

Here a photo tour of TXST’s new Den Food Co…

All photos courtesy of Chartwells Higher Ed