Kent State Dining Services is adding a new dimension to its campus food services with a state-of-the-art food truck. 

The food truck, which is approximately 24 feet long, isn’t anything like the food carts students have been used to seeing around campus, Dining Services director Richard Roldan said.

“It’s pretty much a freightliner, 24-foot truck,” Roldan said. “We’ve customized it to have a kitchen in it, and it’s pretty much a full restaurant inside of it. We’re going to be able to cook just about anything and everything we want to be able to do. We’ve had a little cart going around, but [we’ve] never been able to produce the type of food this kitchen will be able to.”

The truck is currently being designed and created by Custom Mobile Food Equipment, a company located in Hammonton, N. J. that produces mobile food delivery vehicles.  David Kyle, an employee at Custom, said they are making the final touches and the truck should be on campus soon. 

“We actually just finished the design,” Kyle said. “The graphics are very neat; it has your blue and gold Kent State colors. The truck itself has full food capability and it even has TVs inside of it.  It’s all state-of-the-art. You’ll probably see it on campus by the end of the month or early the following month.”

The new food truck will give students on front campus easier access to campus food. These types of foods will include traditional favorites, Roldan said.

“You’ll have some of the favorites,” Roldan said. “We’ll have fries, but it will be homemade fries.  We’ll have burgers, but they’ll be sliders. We’ll also be able to utilize it out on north side of campus, where there’s not a lot of food options.”

While finishing touches are being added to the truck, many students are unaware of the future food addition to campus. 

Sophomore business management major Sam Calley said he thinks the idea of a food truck on campus is a great one.

“I think it’ll be pretty cool,” Calley said. “If it’s as big as it’s supposed to be, I’ll be looking forward to see what all it can produce. I think it’s a great idea and will probably be a huge hit.”

Drew Jones is the undergraduate affairs reporter for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].