Collegiate Times

DXpress renovations will replace serving units to create a more efficient customer flow in the store.

DXpress is undergoing renovations with goals of meeting student desires for healthier menu items and repairing service lines to increase speed of service.

The renovations were decided on by interest of the student body. The Dining Service has an electronic survey that is conducted year round from which they get feedback.

Rick Johnson, Director of Dining Services, made the final executive decision to carry out the renovations for the DXpress, but worked with the Student Government Association to measure student opinion.

"We helped create avenues for dining services to get valuable feedback," said SGA President Brandon Carroll.

He said a major focus was creating healthier choices for students.

"DX will have healthier "grab and go" options, which is something great in terms of moving Virginia Tech forward in a progressive, positive way," Carroll said. "I am glad that Dining Services listened to the students - it means a lot. There is a reason we have the best food in the country, one of them is the fact that Rick Johnson and his staff actively listen to the student body."

Ted Faulkner, the Associate Director for Dining Services, said many students were eager to offer suggestions.

"We do the table talk where we get feedback in all of our dining centers one day across campus where all of the students come up to tables and tell us anything and everything that is good or bad and what they would like to see change in dining," Faulkner said. "The SGA has come to us. We had dinner with about 20 student leaders in the spring. They are the voice of the students, so to speak."

Faulkner said there was a general consensus.

"We kept hearing from the students that they wanted to maintain the quick service in the DXpress that they enjoy but they wanted an extended menu," Faulkner said.

This is a new marketing platform called DX to Go. The plan is to extend the menu offerings by adding healthier items. There will be 29 new menu items.

"With the DX to Go program that we are starting, we want to give students the opportunity to have a quick meal but with healthier options," said Jenny Lindsey, Administrative Dietician for Dining Services. "We want to give them a healthier option, more whole grains, more vegetables, lower fat, and lower calories."

There will be new premade wraps available, including a fruit wrap, which has balsamic vinaigrette, strawberries, and spinach.  

"The things that are considered a meal, like a wrap or a sandwich, we want to make sure are 600 calories or less," Lindsey said.

DXpress will offer individual segmented fruit cups while still maintaining the mixed fruit cup.

In the new menu options, there are no trans fats and little to no saturated fats.

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