Between exams, assignments and rushing from one class to another, students at Queens College (QC) should not have to spend their limited breaks figuring out where to get a decent meal.
At first glance, QC may offer plenty of food choices including cafes in the Science Building and Dining Hall, food carts on the Quad and different vendors scattered around campus. However, having several options to buy food does not necessarily mean having enough variety. What happens when the available choices do not meet students’ needs, when convenience becomes a problem or when a dining location students depend on becomes unavailable?
These questions have become more pressing following recent health inspection findings involving QC Campus Eats. According to PIX11, inspectors found live roaches in food or non-food areas at the eateries in Dining Hall. They also found that items in the facility including “food, supplies or equipment” were “not adequately protected from potential sources of contamination.” The establishment was closed in September 2026.
The closure of Queens College’s Dining Hall has left students adjusting to a major change in campus dining. As one of the college’s main distributors of food, its closure has raised questions about where students are turning for meals and how they are managing without a location they once relied on.
Beyond concerns about food safety and cost, some students face a different challenge: finding meals that meet their dietary needs. Ayaan Hasan, a first-year student majoring in History, Secondary Education and Sociology, said that finding halal food on campus has been difficult during his first semester.
“There is a halal food cart outside the college, but getting there and coming back takes quite a bit of time,” Ayaan said.
He added that walking from the library to the cart can take around 30 minutes, making the trip difficult to fit into a short break between classes. As a result, he also usually brings food from home.
Ayaan believes the college should bring halal food options back to campus, preferably in a central location such as the Quad. Since food carts already operate there, adding a halal option could make it easier for students from different parts of campus to find something to eat without spending much of their break walking elsewhere.
His suggestion points to a broader question about how well campus dining serves students with different needs. QC advertises a range of campus dining options such as Korean cuisine, sushi, pizza, Taiwanese food, sandwiches and halal-certified meals.
The college also offers kosher grab-and-go options and says it is seeking a new vendor to provide hot kosher food. While these offerings suggest an effort to accommodate different tastes and dietary needs, Ayaan’s experience raises the question of whether the available choices are convenient and accessible enough for students in practice.
For Lianna Lazaros, a Creative Writing MFA student and adjunct in the Queens College English Department, concerns about campus food have influenced her decision to avoid dining on campus. “I have heard from my peers that the Dining Hall food is a risky purchase,” she said. Lianna added that she was glad action had been taken to hold the Dining Hall accountable. She usually brings food from home because she believes “bringing food from home is better for me economically.”
Queens College must consider whether its dining options are affordable, safe, varied and convenient for the students who rely on them. That means listening to student concerns, improving food quality, expanding choices for students with different dietary needs and making meals easier to access between classes.
With the Main Dining Hall closed and students adjusting to the remaining options, the college has an opportunity to rethink its approach to campus dining. A better dining experience starts with treating students’ everyday needs as an essential part of campus life.
