The pandemic brought many changes to the lives of MSU students, both on and off campus. Among those changes was the shutting down of Maverick’s Corner post-COVID-19. The university closed the popular dining location, fondly referred to as “Mavs” by the student population, a year and a half ago – and now Mav’s faces the possibility of return. According to Stacy Welch, interim director of dining, the university closed the facility because of a lower need for it by the student population.

“So we closed it post-COVID… once we came back(from the pandemic) there was not the high need for it,” Welch said.

Moving into the spring 2023 semester, there is a chance the doors of Mavericks corner will be open to the student population after spring break.

“We’ll be opening after spring break,” Welch said, adding that students will be able to make their orders in advance. “In sense a third party pickup, so you’ll have the app, you can order online. Once you order online just come in you show me your confirmation that you ordered and we give you the food,” said Welch.

The anticipated return of Maverick’s Corner does not come without changes. The dining facility will no longer be taking counter orders and will be operating on a strictly online system.

“It’s going to be kind of like a gastropub, so we’re going to do some wings and burgers. And we’ll start off something small, so we’ll be doing wings, burgers, loaded fries and nachos…It won’t be a go in and order at the counter system, it’ll be a strictly online ordering system this time around,” Welch said.

The service will be provided through an app that will be announced before opening. Students will download the app and order, then retrieve the confirmation code. The code allows students to verify their purchase and pick up their food. Students will be able to use their meal plan with the app, and Welch said more information will be released soon.

“They’ll do some outside marketing, we’ll do marketing with the students and with the newspaper and housing, and then from an internal standpoint. And so we’ll do marketing within the dining areas and put up signs, so we’ll do a lot of marketing that will probably start the week before spring break just to let everybody know we’re coming and what it is going to be about,” Welch said. 

Students can still dine in Maverick’s corner after picking up their orders.

“We’re not taking away the seating, you just won’t be able to order in. So even if you’re in there and you say “Oh I forgot to get fries with my order,” you still got to go in and order on the app. So it won’t just be any walk-up service in there, but you can order sit down and enjoy the ambiance and all of that while you’re still in there,” Welch said.

 Many students who frequented Maverick’s Corner are close to graduation.

“I used to go to Mav’s when I was a freshman, and in my software year I thought it was a really good experience because it gave us some more options that dining didn’t really have. And we could like sit-down, and it was a little bit more like private with your friends because there’s like a booth and stuff… I‘m really excited about it but it sucks – I wish they opened up sooner because I’m graduating in May,”  finance senior Alisha Joshi said.

Maverick’s Corner served as an alternative to other dining options for students with a meal plan.

“I think it’ll be great if it’s gonna be like the hours like it was back then, where they closed at 11. That would be much better because I remember, I think dining closes like early, and then the food was great. And then it was just a good place to like hang out with friends as well and do homework which is pretty great to be honest. It was like a mini-restaurant you know, but free with the meal plan,” science and criminal justice junior Saide Canté  said.

The new system will also attend to the time constraints of students.

“I feel like in a way, it’s gonna help students, especially when they’re on a time crunch because I know especially when we were waiting on lines, it can be kind of hard. But I mean I guess it’s a good option. Now that we have the app to use I feel like it’s gonna be more conventional to order food,” business junior Victoria Fritas said. 

Maverick’s Corner’s return is welcome news for older students, but also for new students because it gives them a chance to experience a new part of the MSU culture.