Dining changes on campus spark backlash among students

Lehigh Dining announced the closure and renovation of various dining options in an email to the campus community on March 3. The impending dining changes have sparked backlash among students which prompted an on-campus restaurant, Chick-N-Bap, to speak out on its behalf.

The dining changes include the closure of Hillside Cafe, which occurred on March 7, and the relocation of Global Cafe in Williams Hall to Hawk’s Nest, which will happen toward the end of this semester. The changes also include Hawk’s Nest restaurants Chick-N-Bap, Tres Habeneros and Good Batter closing at the end of the semester before the building undergoes renovations, with changes expected in fall 2025.

The email announcement from Lehigh Dining stated once renovations begin, “popular items from Chick-N-Bap, Good Batter and Tres Habeneros will remain at locations across campus.” 

However, following the Lehigh Dining announcement, the official Instagram for Chick-N-Bap — a Korean American street food restaurant with locations at four U.S. colleges, including Lehigh — made a post stating the company was not sure why it had been discontinued at Lehigh. 

Contrary to the university’s announcement, the post also stated the restaurant’s popular items would not remain on campus after its closure, as all of its recipes are “original and proprietary” and are covered under a confidentiality clause.  

“We’d like to let it be known that it was not our choice to leave,” the post stated. “In fact, we had only recently found out about this news ourselves as well.” 

Numerous students showed their support for Chick-N-Bap in the comments section of the post, with some writing, “This is cry-worthy,” “My favorite eats on campus” and “#KeepTheBap.”

Sung Kim, the founder and CEO of Chick-N-Bap, said he wasn’t expecting to shut down Lehigh’s Chick-N-Bap location down and wasn’t made aware of Lehigh’s decision until 12 days prior to the announcement.

Kim said he was unable to disclose the reasoning behind the closure, which was discussed in his meeting with Sodexo Dining Services, a food service company Lehigh is in partnership with. 

“They stated their reasons, and though I respectfully disagreed, the decision is ultimately up to the client,” he said. “The only people that could possibly influence their decision, really, are the students.”

Chick-N-Bap originated at Lehigh, initially located in the Clayton University Center until the building underwent renovations in 2023. In this location, Kim said he was able to increase traffic and revenue, as well as make invaluable connections with students.

When the restaurant was moved to Hawk’s Nest in spring 2023, a kiosk-only order system was implemented. Kim said this system made it difficult to maintain the relationship the workers had built with the students, but he still appreciated the opportunity to serve the community. 

Kim’s main concern now is his staff, and he said he’s doing everything he can to create an opportunity for the team to stay together, including the managers and crew members that worked at the Lehigh location.

“I personally drove down to Bethlehem three times already, trying to see if there are any potential spots for a brick and mortar space,” Kim said. 

He said the process of finding a new storefront for Chick-N-Bap has been difficult due to Bethlehem’s tedious permit process and a lack of available restaurant spaces that check his boxes.

Regardless of this, Kim said he’s hoping to stay near Lehigh, whether on or off campus.

“The support from the students since the news broke out has been nothing but amazing, and I’d love to stay if I could,” he said.  

When asked for comment, Lehigh Dining denied an interview with The Brown and White but offered a written statement on its behalf. 

In the statement, Lehigh Dining wrote that Sodexo had concluded its partnership with Chick-N-Bap with support of the university, and it hopes to continue to offer popular items around campus when the new dining concept is developed. 

“During this transitional time, our top priority is to keep students informed about changes to dining services, including vendor closures and updates within the University Center,” they wrote. 

Some students have expressed concern regarding the changes Lehigh Dining is implementing. 

Teg Ritchie, ‘25, works in Lamberton Hall, where Hawk’s Nest is located, and said Chick-N-Bap is an everyday meal choice for him.  

Ritchie said Lehigh’s announcement made him feel like he didn’t have a choice or say in the dining changes. He also said he wished there had been a survey or form shared with students where he could’ve voiced his opinion about Chick-N-Bap prior to the decision of shutting it down. 

Ritchie also said Lehigh’s false assurance of keeping the items from Chick-N-Bap was unsettling, and he feels its recipes and popular items cannot just be stolen. 

“I thought seeing Chick-N-Bap’s scenario, versus what (Lehigh Dining) told us as students, definitely shows that the university is still a business,” he said. “We definitely need to bring it back. If not in the UC, bring it back somewhere.”

Frankie Prekop, ‘28, said he was confused about the closure of the dining options, as Lehigh already has limited offerings on campus.

With most of Hawk’s Nest shutting down, Prekop said he’s worried there will be no late-night food options for students, as it’s the only on-campus dining space open for food past 9 p.m. He also said Goodbatter is his favorite spot, and it’s his go-to after long nights of studying. 

“At 10 p.m., when I’m coming back from the library, it’s the only thing open,” Prekop said.

Kiran Hauser, ‘27, also expressed concerns, specifically about the closure of Hillside Cafe, which was located in the building of the Singleton, Hitch and Maida Houses. Hauser has lived in McClintic-Marshall House and Singleton House, both of which were close to Hillside, and she said she went to the cafe every day because it was a convenient option. 

Hauser also said she bonded with the cafe employees by visiting it often, and she was told they were being shut down against their wishes. 

“It was truly disappointing to see how little Lehigh Dining cared about what their employees and students wanted, especially given Hillside is one of many on-campus dining locations to close over the past year in light of the UC’s opening,” she said.