Beacon College to Launch Full-Time Food Truck This Fall
By Richard Burnett
With only minutes between classes, Beacon College students will soon have a new option for grabbing a quick bite: a full-time food truck stationed right on campus. From Korean barbecue wraps and hummus falafels to hamburgers and slaw dogs, the mobile kitchen will offer a rotating menu designed to bring flavor, variety and convenience to campus dining. The food truck will complement Beacon’s existing venues — the Dining Commons, which opened in 2021, and the Navigator Café coffee shop — by providing an additional daily dining option and filling gaps when other locations are closed.
“It would be that third option on campus, while also being available for sports and special events,” said Jim Humphrey, Beacon’s dining services director and a manager for Sodexo, the college’s food service partner. “We know that school campuses suffer from ‘dining hall fatigue’ at times during the academic year. You could have the best buffet ever, but it can lose its appeal if you go to the same one every day. Our truck will change things up and target menus to student tastes, with a variety of items.”
The food truck’s home base will be Beacon’s Oasis, the college’s outdoor recreational venue that includes a pool, pavilion, and basketball and sand volleyball courts. From there, it can be relocated daily to key sites around campus based on class schedules and student traffic flow. It will also accept student meal plan cards.
Rolling Out Soon
Currently, the food truck is undergoing an extensive makeover. It’s being prepped for a fresh paint job, with work underway on the electrical system and plumbing for its kitchen, along with a full maintenance checkup.
Early in the fall semester, Humphrey plans to engage students in key phases of the truck’s launch: creating a name, designing menus, and shaping schedules and locations. “We want to open voting early in the semester,” he said. “We want them to feel proud of the name, that it’s part of the Beacon brand. Hopefully, by getting their feedback, they’ll have some buy-in and feel part of the process.”
Beacon acquired the truck earlier this year from Texas Christian University. For Beacon, it represents a strategic investment in enhancing student life and expanding dining options on campus.
“This is an exciting project for Beacon,” Humphrey said. “I think there’s quite a buzz on campus about it.”
Student Perspective
Helen Chinn, a Beacon graduate and Class of 2024 co-valedictorian, fondly recalled when the college hired a food truck for student-versus-staff kickball games. “I thought it was a great way for students and staff to get together while we were having a friendly competition,” said Chinn, now a human resources assistant at Beacon. “It brought back good memories to gather around the truck after the game and have a refreshing meal. Now, I think the students are going to love having a food truck around all the time.”