Cathy Robinson, manager of Harden Dining Hall, remembers a time in the dining hall’s history when about 800 students went through its doors each day.

“ This place was packed. We had lines out the door,” Robinson said.

But since October, turnout has fallen drastically. Last Tuesday, only 47 students of the almost 3,000 students living on campus chose to eat dinner at Harden.

The buzz generated by Colonnades’ opening is definitely the cause of Harden’s falling numbers, food services director Laura Thompson said. The lowered diner count has caused certain food stations to be combined, such as the grill and the deli, or eliminated like the exhibition station.

“None of that was planned ahead of time,” Thompson said. “We just waited to see what would happen when Colonnades opened.”

Freshman Sydney Heiss said these cuts have led to less interest in Harden.

“ They used to have a lot better stuff before Colonnades opened, but selection is not as good now,” Heiss said. “It was also convenient, because I live in North Area, but instead I walk to Acorn or Colonnades to get more options.”

The most obvious cutback is in Harden’s hours of operation.

“We used to just stay open all through the day,” Robinson said.

But this year Harden is closed between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and on the weekends.

Heiss had her routine interrupted when Harden shortened its breakfast hours. “ I used to get breakfast after my 8 a.m. class, but now they close at nine and I can’t eat there,” Heiss said.

ARAMARK, Elon’s dining services provider, is aware of the impact Colonnades has made on Harden. The company is considering its next move, Thompson said. One possibility is a facelift for Harden, which would create a warmer dining atmosphere, and possibly introduce a setup that is “more retail and less residential.”

ARAMARK’s Marketing Program Manager at Elon, Rita Gordish has met with groups of students, especially those living in The Oaks and Greek housing, to find out what setup would be the most appealing to them.

“We don’t want to close Harden,” Thompson said. “We want to try to bring it up to Colonnades’ quality. We have a lot of options through ARAMARK, so hopefully we’ll come up with a plan that satisfies many students and gives it a more exciting life.”

Though employees like Anita Bishop have heard renovations at Harden may happen as soon as Christmas break. Thompson insisted that no official timeline was created for remodeling.

Robinson is confident that Harden Dining Hall has potential. “I think once we remodel, we’ll do just fine.”

Reporter: Camille Demere - 11/07/07