Featured Photo by Kailee Shores
Story by Zoe Naylor
Students with classes in MTSU’s Bragg Media and Entertainment Building will be unable to purchase snacks from the building’s P.O.D. this semester. The Provisions on Demand location, which was open during the fall semester, will stay closed for the remainder of spring 2023.
MTSU’s dining services are provided by Aramark Corporation, a company that supplies many universities with food services and facilities. According to Aramark’s Resident District Manager Edward Gilbert, the Bragg P.O.D. was not bringing in enough revenue to cover its operational costs. Gilbert says, however, the P.O.D. closure is not permanent. “We may reopen it in the future if we see a strong demand for that service.”
In the meantime, students in the College of Media and Entertainment miss being able to grab a quick bite and get their caffeine fix before a hectic day of classes. Mykaela Walker, a sophomore film major, appreciated being greeted by a friendly face before her 8 a.m. class last semester. Though she “hated” the early class time, Walker was a regular at the Bragg P.O.D., coming in every morning before class for a coffee and something to eat.
“I miss it. I miss going there every morning. Wish it was open,” Walker said.
She fondly remembers an older man who worked there. “He would ask me how my day was, and he actually learned my name, which was the only time a staff member that wasn’t a teacher asked me my name.”
However, students like Walker need not fret: other grab-n-go facilities are available. A sign hanging on the closed, locked door of the now-dark Bragg P.O.D. suggests students visit the Student Union or the P.O.D. in The Middle at Corlew Hall. The MTDining website also directs students to the Raider Zone Grill in the James Union Building.
Currently, no other P.O.D. locations are in danger of closing, reports Gilbert. If other locations — particularly the BAS Buy and Fly — show increased demand, then the Bragg P.O.D. closure will likely be reevaluated.
Zoe Naylor is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
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