Institutional News

Bennington College Dining Services to Add Fast Food Offerings

Students will be able to place to-go orders using Benny the Chatbot.

Image of salad bar

Most college campuses are no strangers to fast food options, which can provide a quick, albeit gut-churning, meal solution for students on the go. Bennington College, however, has historically bucked this trend, seeking out locally sourced, globally inspired cuisines for its dining options in Commons. 

Bennington has always proved that college food can be inspiring, nourishing, and delicious,” said President Laura Walker. “Chef Steve and his team go above and beyond to incorporate a variety of dietary offerings and traditions into their menus, but we recently realized that we have been exclusionary toward high-sodium, high-sugar, and high-carb foods. We wish to be more inclusive of those practicing a more traditional Western diet.”

Vermont holds the distinction of being the only state to not have a McDonalds in its capital city of Montpelier. Representatives see an opportunity to tighten their grip on the generally anti-corporate state by first opening a location on Bennington College’s campus, known as an overly trusting, non-skeptical, corporation-friendly institution. 

“Students today are balancing busy lives and juggling many competing priorities—we firmly believe that health shouldn’t have to be one of them,” said a spokesclown from the chain.

“We all know fast food isn’t good for us,” said Dr. Randy Anselmo, Director of Health Services. “But at Bennington, we also believe in learning by experiencing, so we don’t want to restrict students’ potential as they chart their own nutritional paths.”

Embracing manufactured and processed foods opens many possibilities to offer and introduce new fast food items to replace current Bennington items like the Tricky Chickie sandwich,” said Chef Steve Bohrer. “We have seen the majority of our guests no longer wish to consume that once-beloved sandwich, so the timing couldn't be better.” 

For more information and to see the full menu, click here