Tuesday, Sept. 15, The Flat Hat interviewed Sean Hughes, chief business officer for the College of William and Mary, and Mike Todd, the College’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, to discuss campus dining.
Students have expressed frustration with recent dining changes on campus, specifically the West Woods Dining Hall delay and the Food Hall at Sadler’s transition into a food retail hub.
Hughes said West Woods could not open in time for the start of the fall semester because the third-party contractor assisting with construction had not finished the kitchen and back areas of the dining hall. He said this incomplete work would have created issues training dining hall staff and operating new equipment.
Hughes said he communicated these issues with Todd, influencing the College’s decision to delay the West Woods Dining Hall’s opening.
Hughes said the College was aware that construction in West Woods was incomplete when it invited the class of 2026 to eat in the dining hall. He said the College catered food and safely served meals.
“We felt strongly that [the class of 2026] should at least get the first meal in there,” Hughes said.
The West Woods Dining Hall has been delayed three separate times. It was initially slated to open at the start of the fall 2025 semester, before being delayed to January 2026. The dining hall opening was then moved to the start of the fall 2026 semester, before being pushed back again to January 2027.
Hughes said he believes the dining hall will open in time for the spring semester.
“We have confidence that it will open,” he said. “We’re working very closely with the [project] owner and the development group.”
We have confidence that it will open. We’re working very closely with the [project] owner and the development group.
Hughes encouraged students with mobility issues who may be struggling to reach Commons Dining Hall to coordinate with Student Accessibility Services. He said the College is open to changing its mobility assistance services — such as expanding its Limited Mobility Shuttle Service hours — based on what students need.
“What I’ve instructed [the Office of Parking and Transportation Services] to do is engage in whatever changes they need to, whatever staffing changes they need, to support the interim dining program,” he said.
Hughes addressed consistent long wait times and order backlogs for retail options in Sadler, particularly The Halal Shack and Vivi’s Mexican Cuisine. He said the College is working with Aramark, the third-party dining operator on campus, to improve efficiency and reduce wait times.
“I know [The Halal Shack and Vivi’s Mexican Cuisine] are hiring right now, [and] we have asked them to expand hours as well,” he said. “We’re very much aware that the waits have been as long as an hour and a half.”
Hughes said that once West Woods officially opens and Commons closes, the College plans to continue operating the Marketplace at Campus Center and Morning Musings, a grab-and-go breakfast spot, through the end of the spring 2027 semester.
Hughes said the College decided to switch Sadler from an all-you-can-eat dining hall to a food retail hub after gathering feedback from the annual Student Assembly omnibus survey and other William and Mary Dining surveys.
“It was very convenient for us in terms of infrastructure to do it in Sadler,” Hughes said. “But I understand, especially with West Woods not being open, why that felt really disruptive to a lot of students.”
Hughes opened the door to changing Sadler back into an all-you-can-eat dining hall for the 2027-28 academic year. He said the College would weigh student feedback and sales in Sadler before making its decision.
Hughes acknowledged students’ frustration with the timing of the dining changes, which were announced after housing selections. He said the College would try to do a better job this year of informing students about the campus dining situation before on-campus housing selection for the next academic year.
“We won’t have all those decisions made, but we’ll give our best educated guess,” he said.
During the interview, Hughes declined to immediately provide an estimate for the costs of recent dining changes but said it is being closely monitored.
“We have a good estimate, but I’d hesitate to give you an estimate relative to that because we’re so early in the semester,” he said.
Executive Director of Media Relations Suzanne Clavet later provided a cost estimate by email, on behalf of Hughes and Todd, evaluating the cost of recent dining changes.
“Thus far, William & Mary has infused the dining program with about 3 million dollars worth of value since the start of the semester, inclusive of the dining dollars and meal swipes,” the email read.
Thus far, William & Mary has infused the dining program with about 3 million dollars worth of value since the start of the semester, inclusive of the dining dollars and meal swipes
Hughes said the College is covering its costs for recent dining changes with a reserve auxiliary fund. He said he could not provide specific details about the business structure in Sadler for third-party vendors, adding that the food retail hub mostly operates through Aramark.
Hughes mentioned that the West Woods Dining Hall delay has led to logistical staffing changes, specifically increased hiring and the union contract requiring the union to bid on the expanded hours.
Hughes said the College is focused on continuing to respond to student concerns and needs with increased engagement beyond this year.
“We’re looking to address individual situations and individual needs as much as we can,” he said. “[But] this isn’t concierge-level dining where you walk in and order filet mignon.”
CORRECTION (09/23/26): Article was updated to include newly-acquired information about the cost of the updates to meal plans.
CORRECTION (09/24/26): Article was updated by Ethan Auclair, the Standards and Practices Editor, to clarify that the union contract requires the union to bid on the expanded hours.
