What’s next for the P-Den? Students will help drive the decision

Changes are coming to the P-Den at the Trone Student Center next year, and students are being asked to help decide what comes next.

Chick-fil-A’s P-Den location will close May 4, 2027, as the company moves away from smaller, licensed locations on college campuses. Furman and Bon Appétit worked directly with Chick-fil-A to explore options for keeping the location open, but the decision to end the license agreement ultimately came from Chick-fil-A.

As Furman looks ahead to what could take its place, Tony McGuirt, assistant vice president for Auxiliary Services; David McMillan, resident district manager for Bon Appétit; and Adam Miller, director of operations for Bon Appétit at Furman University, shared more about how the process will unfold and the role students will play in shaping the P-Den’s next chapter.

While Chick-fil-A will remain open throughout the 2026-27 academic year, the team has already spent several months exploring potential concepts. It’s a process that students have been part of since leadership learned of Chick-fil-A’s departure. University and dining leaders met with members of the Student Government Association before the Chick-fil-A announcement was officially made and have continued conversations with student leaders as they explore what comes next.

“The students are going to be the driving force,” McMillan said.

Student surveys have been sent out regarding preferred cuisines, dining concepts and specific brands students would like to see on campus. Pop-ups are already planned at the Paddock throughout the fall and will give students a chance to try potential concepts and provide feedback about the food, menu items and whether they would want the concept as a regular campus dining option. After each pop-up, students can access the feedback form through a QR code at the event or through a survey link sent out afterward.

The entire process has the potential to shape more than the just the Chick-fil-A space. Furman’s current license agreement with Moe’s is also approaching its end, and students will be asked whether they want that concept to remain or would prefer another option. Depending on that feedback, the P-Den could ultimately welcome one, or even two, new concepts.

“We want to make sure that what we replace is something that the students want,” McGuirt said. “It should be something they enjoy on a regular basis.”

Chick-fil-A and Moe’s are licensed concepts run by Bon Appétit, Furman’s contracted dining services provider. The employees working at those locations are Bon Appétit employees, and Bon Appétit purchases the brands’ products and operates the locations according to their standards. Sushi with Gusto operates differently. It is an outside company with its own employees and food operations, while Bon Appétit manages the agreement on Furman’s behalf.

Turning student feedback into the next P-Den concept takes plenty of behind-the-scenes effort. Furman and Bon Appétit have been vetting possibilities for months, including traveling to other college campuses this summer to see concepts in operation, try their menus and learn how they work in a university setting.

“One of the misconceptions is that we could take any sort of concept and fit that in the university model, and it doesn’t always quite work that way,” Miller said.

Some restaurants do not operate in what the industry calls “nontraditional locations,” such as those on college campuses or in airports and hospitals. Miller pointed to Cook Out and Chipotle as examples of concepts students may recognize, but that do not currently fit the type of campus model Furman seeks. The team is also considering how potential concepts would fit within the P-Den’s existing space, their equipment and staffing needs, and whether they could work with Furman’s meal exchange program.

“It’s not always as simple as, ‘Let’s pick the most popular one,’” Miller said. “There’s more metrics that go into it.”

Student feedback can also influence dining beyond the P-Den. If surveys show strong interest in a cuisine that is not ultimately selected for the space, Bon Appétit can consider incorporating similar menu items elsewhere on campus. Student feedback has helped shape campus dining before, from Blend & Bowl and the Dining Hall’s Near & Far station to seasonal offerings at The Paddock.

Most of the pop-ups are expected to take place through October, with the process already underway. Students got a recent taste of a potential concept on Sept. 30, when Zaxby’s hosted a pop-up in the Paddock. The next round of taste-testing starts next week. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the P-Den will host a double pop-up featuring Jamal’s Chicken and The Halal Shack, a Mediterranean concept. On Thursday, Oct. 8, Choolaah will return to campus with its Indian barbecue concept after receiving positive student feedback during a previous pop-up in the spring.

Furman and Bon Appétit will use the results to narrow the options before returning to students for additional feedback. The goal is to select the new concept or concepts by the end of the fall semester, leaving time for contracting, design and construction before a planned re-opening in August 2027.

“We want them to participate in the surveys, participate in the pop-ups and provide us with that feedback,” McMillan said. “That’s the way we’re going to gather this information and be able to move in a direction that gives them the choices and the options that they want for next fall.”