Dining Hall Construction Nears Winter Break Completion

COURTESY OF DEERFIELD COMMUNICATIONS

After over a year of construction, Deerfield Academy’s new dining hall is finally nearing completion. Director of Food Services Michael McCarthy says that the space is designed to honor tradition while bringing the campus dining experience into the modern era. The new building is scheduled to open its doors over winter break.

The Academy’s construction leaders designed the new dining hall with student and faculty experience in mind. The redesign specifically focused on acoustics. In the old space, high ceilings created an overwhelming noise level that made conversation difficult. Project Manager Andrew DeMado noted that they prioritized this issue from the very beginning. By the time the dining hall opens, Mr. DeMado hopes “that people can sit at a table and actually hear each other – to build community. So we’ve added acoustic treatments through the ceiling in both the main dining area and surrounding spaces.” 

In addition to improved sound quality, the new space features a layout intended to foster togetherness. Previously, some students would sit in raised “bubble” areas on either side of the central dining hall area during meals, separating themselves from the rest of their classmates. The expanded and leveled dining area can now allow the entire student body to eat together on the same floor. Mr. DeMado noted that “Dr. Austin really wanted it so that everyone was on the same level,” emphasizing Deerfield’s goal to strive for more unity within the student body.

The Academy's emphasis on shared experiences also affected the decision that Mr. DeMado and Mr. McCarthy made to keep the entire school in one communal dining room. Senior Sophie Simonds has experienced both the original dining hall and the temporary dining hall. Soon, she will attend the opening of the new dining hall along with everyone else on campus. She agrees with the choice to have one communal dining hall, stating “I really like the fact that they expanded it so that they could fit the whole student body during sit down meals.” 

Additionally, Simonds ’26 commends the planning and consideration for students and faculty while construction was happening, saying, “I do think it was the most thoughtful situation instead of just removing sit down meals for multiple years like I know other boarding schools have done.” Mr. McCarthy added: “Sit-down meals are our thing, and a lot of the design was built around accommodating them, the equipment that’s in the kitchen and the layout of the dining room.”

Among the most visible changes are updates to the serving model itself. The new building includes a true servery, which will allow the kitchen to present food through dedicated stations. “From an operational standpoint, it’s going to be much more efficient,” McCarthy said. 

Another unique addition to the dining hall experience is the introduction of service carts for both first and second waiters. The three-tiered carts will help students deliver food more efficiently by carrying trays, glassware, and even bus buckets, which hold dirty dishes, all at once. “Instead of having to carry a tray, you’ll be able to place your tray on top of the cart and be able to load your food up in the kitchen and then roll it out,” explained Mr. McCarthy. 

Inside, the dining hall balances modern functionality with traditional aesthetics. Much of the wood trim was custom made to reflect the style of the original building. DeMado noted that “students said…we want to come into this place and feel like we should be in class dress,” explaining the decision for some of the architectural design aspects of the new dining hall. The renovated building now features ornate columns, fluted trim, and high ceilings. 

Even with the challenges the construction team faced such as unexpected obstacles when doing demolition on an old building, the entire crew found the project rewarding. According to Mr. DeMado, not only was the process incredibly collaborative, but the dining hall has also, in effect, been modernized. He explains that the dining hall “really hadn’t been upgraded since the late 1940s. So we had a separate food service designer that worked with us and then worked with the directors, so that it really brings their operation into the 21st century.” 

The new dining hall is set to host its first meal in early January, just after students return from winter break. According to Director of Food Services Michael McCarthy, they plan to  transition just after students leave campus for the holidays. “Our first meal that we serve will be that Monday sit-down lunch.” McCarthy explained that Monday’s lunch will mark the beginning of a new chapter in campus life, one that many faculty and students have been eagerly anticipating. In addition to regular meals, the new dining hall is also expected to host major campus events, including Commencement for this year’s graduating class.

The dining hall, used by both faculty and students alike, is a shared space where the community comes together. DeMado described it as “the heart of campus.” While Simonds ’26 hopes for the preservation of some previous features such as the senior bubble, she is “excited for the opening.” With the renovation designed to reflect Deerfield’s values: tradition, community, and care, it seems that this heart is only getting stronger.