Chartwells struggles to meet students’ demands
BY ETHAN NAVARRO, STAFF WRITER
The Globe used to feel like a passport on a plate. Today, it feels more like a layover.
Since Chartwells Higher Ed took over, the once-beloved international dining hall is now known for bland flavors, short hours and empty promises of global cuisine.
When you live in the Angel Cabrera Global Center, The Globe isn’t just an option — it’s your lifeline. It’s convenient, located in the heart of a bustling international community and until recently was known among students for offering higher quality food than other dining halls.
Under Mason’s previous dining provider Sodexo, The Globe embraced its international theme with a variety of foods and noticeably better flavor than its fellow dining halls. Unfortunately, that reputation has faded.
The decline is difficult to miss. The food tastes more bland, with less appetizing presentation and more limited selection. Options are scarce and the serving trays run out quickly, often taking a long time to be refilled.
More than once, I’ve finished eating before dishes were even replaced.
There is also a disjunction among the staff. Cleaning staff keep the dining area impressively tidy and rarely let a dirty table sit for long. However, the kitchen staff’s coordination seems to lag behind the cleaning staff’s dutiful performance.
The result is a space that looks clean but feels neglected.
The Globe offers a few regular stations, including a salad bar, main meal area and desserts. On paper, that might sound like a good variety. In practice, the food seems uninspired.
The salad bar’s chicken is dry, the desserts are unlabeled and bland, the oats taste like paste and the sandwich options look unappealing. The drink options — soda, juice, milk, coffee and water — aren’t enough to help The Globe stand out. Other dining halls on campus feature hot stations with pizza, pasta, burgers or fish.
By comparison, The Globe feels bare.
Perhaps most disappointing is that The Globe no longer lives up to its name. Yes, dishes are often labeled as Italian, Asian or Latin, but the execution is inconsistent and superficial. They seem inauthentic to their inspiration, and I can confidently say that “international” has become more of a slogan plastered on the walls than an experience at The Globe.
The general mood among students seems to be one of shared disappointment. Many paid for premium dining plans expecting convenience and quality, only to find ourselves walking 20 minutes to other halls on weekends — because The Globe is not open on Saturdays or Sundays.
Dinner service ends at 7 p.m. most of the week and 2 p.m. on Fridays. For a residence building full of students and athletes, those hours exemplify a mediocre commitment to excellence from Mason Dining.
As a Resident Assistant living in the building, I’ve brought these concerns to Housing and Dining representatives. The response was disheartening: Chartwells cited a “lack of perceived demand.”
That reasoning doesn’t hold up when the hall routinely fills during its limited hours and when residents repeatedly express their frustration. Students aren’t asking for luxuries — just edible, satisfying meals and reasonable hours that match asking prices in excess of $1,000, depending on the meal plan.
The Globe still has potential. The facility itself is appealing, with strong lighting, comfortable seating and tasteful decor that hints at what it once represented. Even the occasional themed event, like a recent Boba Tea day, shows promise for what the dining experience could become if given proper attention.
But potential means nothing without effort. Chartwells has an opportunity to rebuild The Globe’s reputation and restore it as a true centerpiece of campus dining. That starts with expanding the hours, improving menu variety and actually embracing the “global” namesake.
