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Media Credit: Saerom Yoo Students crowd around the salad bar in The Main at about noon Monday. Closure of Edens and Deco Deli has led to a 100 percent expansion of seating in The Main, and students are complaining about the eating situation. [Click to enlarge]

Before Spring Break, herds of students filled the basement of Reed Hall to grab the last few bites of food from Deco Deli and Edens Greens. Now, The Main is overflowing with hungry students.

Since the closing of Deco Deli and Edens, TCU Dining Services has had to expand the amount of seating in The Main, said Rick Flores, general manager of Dining Services.

Booths and tables were rearranged and Dining Services moved furniture from Deco Deli and Edens into The Main, doubling the seating capacity to accommodate the 400 plus students who would be expected, Flores said.

"Students are coming together in The Main," Flores said. "They're even putting tables together to sit and eat with each other."

However, some students who eat there feel differently about the arrangement.

The line to order from Grill 155 in The Main seems endless, said Megan Mason, a freshman premajor.

"I eat here every day now because there is nowhere else on campus to go, and trying to get food now is ridiculous," Mason said.

Michael Scott Wilson, a sophomore communication studies major, said it feels like high school all over again.

"It's hard to get in and out of the seats because the tables are so close together," Wilson said.

At noon, The Main is completely packed, said Miguel Ortega, a freshman international communications major.

Edens and Deco Deli closed because of campus construction in Reed Hall. New offices will replace the restaurants that are now in the basement of the hall, and students have been directed to remaining eateries on campus.

Edens and Deco Deli closed March 7, leaving 11 employees without a job. On March 17, six of the 11 employees were working in The Main.

Although students have expressed frustration, Flores said there are plenty of seats outside for students, as well. He said students will also have more seating options when the new Brown-Lupton University Union opens next fall.

"When the new facility is built, we will have 600 seats inside and 150 seats on the terrace," Flores said.

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