A dining hall inspired by modern college campuses is expected to open on Fort Carson this coming spring.
The Stack Ivy Warrior Restaurant, a traditional cafeteria on base, closed in December for the renovations that will make way for the dining style and improve lighting .
The cafeteria is one of the venues across five Army installations that was picked for the pilot project to test dining halls that will feature multiple food stations, Army news releases said.
“The Army is focused on creating a positive seismic shift in food service operations,” said Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, Army Materiel Command deputy commanding general and acting commander.
The new options are expected to be healthier and more accessible, he said, in a statement.
At Colorado State University in Fort Collins, the dining halls feature different restaurants with a variety of options, such as pizza, grain bowls, build-your-own pasta and custom-made sandwiches.
Compass Group USA was selected to run the new dining halls inspired by modern universities on Forts Bragg, Stewart, Carson, Hood and Drum for at least five years. The company will run the restaurant with its own staff, and it will be paid based on the number of meals served, a news release said.
The company owns Chartwells Higher Education, a food-service company that provides food across 350 college campuses, according to its website.
The new dining hall will remain open during the day, similar to a food court, instead of having set hours around meal times, Fort Carson said in a release.
Soldiers who previously worked in the kitchens at the Stack Ivy Warrior Restaurant return to their units.
While Stack is closed for renovations, the 800 soldiers who would dine there daily are eating at the other two cafeterias on base, Fort Carson said. The attendance at those restaurants has evenly split between the two, the statement said.
Fort Carson has also opened three grab-and-go food kiosks in recent years.
When the first two opened in 2024, a Fort Carson officer at the time said the shift to kiosks was necessary, in part because the base was expected to lose 147 of its 492 culinary specialist positions in the next year. No one was going to lose their job, but fewer people were going to be selected for the career specialty.
The kiosks were the only weekend dining option in early 2025 offering options such as salads, sandwiches and microwavable meals. Now, the Wolf Ivy Warrior Restaurant is open on weekends serving brunch and dinner.
Dining and Cooking