Since the University announced Sodexo would be taking over as the University's food service provider, the company has wasted no time moving into campus, as most dining locations have seen significant alterations.

The Hoot Market, formerly known as the Provisions on Demand Market, now offers produce from Russo's Market. Starbucks coffee is served in Farber Library and food trucks will be rolled out on weekend nights from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Another change for some locations includes hours of operations. Sherman Dining Hall now offers continuous service from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays in addition to its service between 7 to 10 a.m., adding an extra hour of service during dinner hours. Quiznos is now open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight. The Stein, which was previously only open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, will now also be open for lunch on those days, while maintaining late night hours until 3 a.m. on the weekends.

Einstein's Bagel Bros. was one of the only locations to have its hours reduced with the new provider. The 24-hour service during the week was eliminated, open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m.

According to Einstein's employee Darrell Hosford '16, who consistently worked the 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. shift during the 2012-2013 academic year, the change in hours is not detrimental. "No one really came after like [midnight], so I would just stand there and get paid for it. It was really boring because nobody came," he said in an interview with the Justice. "You did [see people coming by after 2 a.m.], but it was ... still a ghost town."

In an email to the Justice, Resident District Manager for Sodexo Jay DeGioia explained that Sodexo changed its hours based on research conducted among students.

"Throughout the [request for proposal] process ... Sodexo observed operations and communicated with the college.  After collecting information and further conversations, hours were set," wrote Senior Director of Operations for Sodexo at Brandeis Randi Kates-Peirce in an email to the Justice. "As with all of the locations we will evaluate the hours. We encourage feedback as well."

According to DeGioia, some changes are still on the way. The Guy Fieri's on-campus restaurant "is in the architect's hands and should move forward quickly," DeGioia wrote. The Dunkin' Donuts that will replace the Village Provisions on Demand Market is scheduled to open by early October, and plans to renovate Sherman Dining Hall as well as Usdan Cafe and Boulevard are scheduled for next summer.

Sodexo is also looking into potentially adding more dining locations.

DeGioia also outlined plans to further utilize student feedback.

"One tool we will roll out soon is Staff Ranker, which is an online tool to give students the ability to leave compliments and concerns on their experience," wrote DeGioia. "We will also open with a great program that will allow students to text comments, concerns and compliments using their smart phones allowing our team to respond quickly, track trends, and solve issues in a timely manner." Sodexo also plans on gathering input via "two formal surveys."

In addition, DeGioia wrote that Sodexo is planning to work with student groups such as the Dining Committee and hire two student marketing coordinators and a sustainability coordinator. These students will be responsible for organizing a grassroots marketing campaign and sustainability efforts, respectively.

In addition to its partnership with Russo's Market to provide local food, DeGioia wrote that Sodexo is also working to serve cage-free eggs. Currently, they are served in Sherman and will also be available at other locations.

DeGioia wrote that he is "pleased" with Sodexo's reception on campus so far. "We are presently getting to know our team, and are excited to see the knowledge and passion amongst all our union and student workers. We have received a lot of positive feedback on the changes we have made so far."
He later wrote, "Brandeis is a great institution and we are thrilled to help improve the student experience."

To see what students think of the campus dining changes, see the Brandeis Talks column.

-Marissa Ditkowsky contributed reporting.