Due to general student demand for increased dining options, Georgetown plans to dramatically revamp its campus dining services in the upcoming year, as administrators announced that a new food-service company will transform O’Donovan Hall, the long-awaited restaurant in Darnall Hall will open and campus meal plan options will change.

After 32 years, Marriott Corporation will no longer provide the food served in on-campus dining halls. Georgetown signed a five-year contract with ARAMARK Higher Education earlier this year, which took effect July 1.

In conjunction with ARAMARK’s arrival, O’Donovan Hall will undergo a massive conversion, with construction beginning in December and work continuing into the spring semester. University spokesperson Julie Bataille said that the top level would be turned into six serving locations with different themes, including a Latin station, a Mediterranean kitchen, an Asian/Mongolian grill, a stand serving fresh produce and American-style food, a bake shop and a beverage station. She said that the lower level, which will be known as “Leo’s Down-Under,” will contain four more dining options – Barracas Italian Bistro, Rolling Pin Coffeehouse, Lean & Green and Leo’s Diner, which will serve breakfast all day.

Director of Resident Dining Andrelino Cardoso said the popular “Chicken Finger Thursdays” would continue at O’Donovan Hall.

Karen Cutler, director of communications for ARAMARK, said O’Donovan Hall will be remodeled but seating capacity will remain approximately the same. Proposed diagrams provided by Bataille showed food serving areas on both levels in roughly the same places as they are now. Plans for the bottom floor showed the coffeehouse as a round stand in the center of the room. Bataille said nutritional displays, detailing the content of the food being served as well as tips for healthy living, will be installed.

While the renovations to the cafeteria will not begin until after the fall semester, menu changes will begin immediately, Bataille said.

Beginning this semester, carts located around campus will allow students to purchase Grab-n-Go meals without trekking to O’Donovan Hall, Bataille said. Grab-n-Go menu options will also be increased, she added.

On-campus dining options will be further expanded with the planned opening of Epicurean and Co. on the ground level of Darnall later this semester. The space is currently under renovation, with ceiling pipes exposed, bare concrete floors and construction lights. The restaurant will be operated by restaurateur C.W. Chon, who runs more than a dozen restaurants, including one by the same name on Connecticut Avenue. Bataille described the establishment as an upscale sit-down and take-out restaurant. It will have a liquor license and be open to the public.

Plans for a restaurant in Darnall have been in the works since 2005, when Darnall Dining Hall closed its doors. Chon was selected by the university to open a restaurant last year, but lease negotiations stalled the restaurant’s opening.

To add flexibility to students’ meal plans, the university introduced Flex Meal Dollars, which can be spent at Epicurean and Co. – the restaurant will not accept meals from meal plans – and 12 other eating establishments on campus. Different meal plans include different Flex Meal Dollar amounts, ranging from $50-$100, but block meal plans do not include Flex Meal Dollars.

Bataille said the changes in the dining system were brought about by requests from students for more flexibility in dining options. Students had the opportunity to complete an online survey on the university’s food services last semester.

ARAMARK and Epicurean and Co. will provide catering for on-campus functions except those that take place in the Leavey Center, which Marriott will continue to cater, Bataille said. arriott will maintain its operation of its on-campus hotel and conference center, according to Patrick Hardy, director of hotel sales at the Georgetown University Conference Center.

Bataille said all current dining service employees will be offered similar jobs by ARAMARK. The company also plans to hire 40-50 additional employees to handle the expanded food offerings at O’Donovan Hall.

Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Margie Bryant, who oversees the university’s contract with ARAMARK and arriott, declined to comment.