CHLOE KOWALYK
News Editor
Students won’t be getting their morning Timbits or made-to-order burritos next semester, as it is now confirmed that Tim Hortons, Blue Devil Grill and Tim Hortons FREDExpress will be closed for fall 2022.
The claims started out as a rumor circling YikYak and social media among students.
While the Fredonia Student Faculty Association (FSA) has not officially announced the closings of Tim Hortons, Blue Devil Grill and Tim Hortons FredEXPRESS to all students yet, FSA’s Executive Director Darin Schulz has confirmed in an interview with The Leader that the rumors were true.
“With where we’re sitting at with our current rate of the state of enrollment, we just don’t have the ability to maintain the scope of operations that we have,” Schulz said.
Schulz is citing the significant decrease in enrollment numbers SUNY Fredonia has seen recently. Currently, according to fredonia.edu, the college is at around 3,436 students as of April 6. With fewer students at the college, less money is coming in, leading to a monetary deficit.
(For a more in-depth explanation of the closures, see “Why Tim Hortons, Blue Devil Grill and FREDExpress are set to close fall 2022.“)
The closings of these dining halls left students feeling very unhappy. Eighteen students responded to an Instagram question prompt asking how students feel about Tim Hortons and Blue Devil Grill closing next semester.
One student said that she was “really irritated that they’re closing the two best places to eat on campus.” Another added that “this limits our food options even more.”
Further, another student said, “Blue Devil [Grill] is the only food I actually like on campus. I’m so upset about it.”
Students all agreed that they felt very sad and disappointed on the poll. Many responded to the question saying they would get rid of their meal plans, and complained about having to pay the same amount or more for a meal plan with less options available.
FSA student workers were also heavily impacted by the closings, as this puts some of them out of a job.
One student, who has chosen to remain anonymous to avoid negative consequences regarding their job, said that they were upset about the closings.
The student currently works at Tim Hortons, and they decided to work there because they needed the extra money while attending school.
They explained that student workers were encouraged to reapply to FSA for next semester and would be transferred to a different location. They added that most of the union workers were told that they would be sent to another location as well, and a few of the other union workers would be laid off.
Because the student still needs a source of income while attending college, they plan to transfer somewhere either on or off-campus that will offer them morning hours.
Another student, who also chose to remain anonymous to protect the security of their job at Willy C’s, was not given any information regarding the closure of Blue Devil Grill. They said that they and their coworkers were upset to hear about the closure.
“It limits the already limited eating options… I barely eat any food now as it is because it all tastes gross to me,” the student said.
Union workers were also saddened by the news. Two workers chose to remain anonymous for the same reasons as the student workers, but expressed frustration with the closures and felt bad for the students.
Overall, the campus holds a heavy heart for the loss of a few of their favorite dining halls next year.
While Schulz suggests that this change may not be permanent, many students are questioning which meal plans to get next semester, and workers are questioning whether they will continue to work for FSA.