Over the summer, Gilmore got a major overhaul. While the outside looks the same, one step inside the doors reveals all the hard work put into the dining hall.
Taking a step through the glass doors, one will notice the same small hall separating the second set of glass doors. Inside are all the maps and New Hampshire attractions just like before, although a new “Chartwells” logo sits above them now.
Moving through the next set of doors, more of the renovation becomes apparent. The floors have been reimagined in a new, modern, hardwood pattern. The check in station has been moved and expanded, opening up this once small lobby space. The check in now features a large counter, and a register, as well as a Chartwells’ employee.
Moving deeper inside Gilmore, all of the food sections have been remodeled. Denis Brown, the Director of Dining Services, provided some insight on what could not be easily seen.
“We have better equipment than ever before to serve the students,” said Brown, “we also put in a state of the art pizza oven which has upgraded our pizza program tremendously.”
As one moves inside of the dining hall portion of Gilmore, one will see a new deli, a new drink counter, new salad bar, and a new condiment center. There are also brand new tables and chairs, arranged in different fashion than the previous semester. When asked about the numbers, Brown said, “There are 54 new tables,” which is 288 seats in the renovated hall.
The tables are a mix of regular low top tables, and high top tables, which allow for better views of the river as well as the whole establishment, adding a variation to the new seating.
“Gilmore was in need of a facelift. It had been decades since its last remodel. The idea was to give students, faculty and staff a nice upgrade from what they have experienced in the past,” Brown said.
The employees in Gilmore seem to be more eager than ever with the new remodel.
Debra Totte, a Chartwells employee, said, “I think they did just an awesome job.” She believes the change “covered all the bases” and really supports the new space. She had originally had some doubts about the seating, but she rarely sees a line build too much with the new space.
Students also appear confident about the new space. David Shin, a third year student from Massachusetts, said the space looks and feels “cleaner” and the new sandwich bar and equipment is his favorite part.
Shin is also a huge supporter of the extra half hour gained by the students, as the dining hall now closes at 7:30 rather than 7:00 pm. “If anything changes again about Gilmore in the future,” Shin stated, “I hope to maybe get more extended time.”
When asked about Gilmore’s future, Brown said, “We hope that this renovation makes the student’s dining experience better than before. We hope to add to our program as the year goes on and intend to survey the students to see what else we can bring to the table for them.”
The next foreseeable change, according to Brown, will be “to add more monthly menu specials to the mix starting in October.”
