Chartwells, officially known as Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, operates college dining halls across the country, including those at SUNY Buffalo State University. At Buffalo State, Chartwells, referred to locally as Buffalo State Dining, serves an estimated 2,000 students. The World Telegram News’ Edvardi Jackson spoke with Residential District Manager Glenn Bucello about dining services, their impact on students, and an exclusive preview of upcoming changes.
When asked about the organization's mission, Mr. Bucello shared, “Our goal has always been to make every student feel valued and appreciated. We do that through great-tasting food, served fresh, by associates who are smiling and make them feel welcome.” He added, “We pride ourselves on providing multiple avenues for students to give feedback, so we can make changes before a need even arises.”
Diversity in dining options was a major topic of the interview, especially following concerns raised by students. Mr. Bucello emphasized the importance of feedback, saying, “If I don’t know about it, then there’s nothing I can do to fix it.”
A new feature introduced last semester, the meal-swipe program, was noted to be occasionally confusing by students. Mr. Bucello recommended the Freedom 19 plan, the most comprehensive and expensive option. He later acknowledged the program’s challenges, stating, “We rolled out meal exchanges this year, and while there were some hiccups, we’ve got it worked out now.”
Food safety also remains a common concern, with some students reporting incidents of food poisoning allegedly stemming from Buffalo State Dining, particularly from the Bengal Kitchen, the primary cafeteria. Mr. Bucello responded, “When we hear about those things, it’s usually an uptick whenever flu-like symptoms and stomach bugs are going around. Most of the time, it’s not food poisoning.” He reassured students, saying, “We have multiple checks and balances in place to ensure we’re serving safe food, from purchasing from safe suppliers to temperature control and regular audits.” Mr. Bucello added, “I eat at every place on campus because I believe in the product we’re putting out. We always aim to offer diverse options to meet the needs of all students.”
The interview, which streamed on The World Telegram NewsRadio on WBNY-FM on Friday, February 21st also highlighted upcoming renovations at Buffalo State Dining, specifically in the retail department. Mr. Bucello shared, “We’re embarking on a huge retail overhaul based on student feedback, but it won’t be ready by the fall—it’s that big. We’re looking at Fall 2026 for the changes.”
One of the changes will be the replacement of Spot Coffee, located on the ground floor of the Campbell Student Union, with Crave by SVK Kitchen. Mr. Bucello explained,
“…it allows us to run, you know, three to five different concepts out of one location. We can have Latin, we can have breakfast, we can do barbecue. So, we’re going to have some different food options for the students. Hopefully, over winter break, we’re looking at it…”
Mr. Bucello later revealed that two new halal options will open, including a halal pizza place. WTN News understands that KT Cuisine will also be setting up a permanent spot at the university.
