At NACAS, Brendan Evje spoke with Brandon Hendricks, Senior Associate Director of Dining Services at Virginia Tech, about what happened after they completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of Dietrick Hall’s first-floor retail dining.

The team anticipated higher retail volumes. What they didn’t expect was a simultaneous increase in their residential all-you-care-to-eat program upstairs. The data revealed something important about what students actually want from campus dining.

Beyond quick transactions and mobile ordering, students are actively seeking spaces designed for staying. Places where they can disconnect, spend time with friends, and simply exist as themselves. The renovation succeeded because it created what Brandon calls “our students’ living room.”