The Chick-fil-A inside the Student Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will officially close May 29, according to Student Center Director Kent Epplin.

After serving the campus since opening in 2009, the restaurant’s departure follows a broader decision by Chick-fil-A to move away from its licensing program across campus locations, Epplin said in an email to the Daily Egyptian.

In the email, Epplin said the company noted that the decision does not reflect on SIU and expressed appreciation for the university’s management of the brand.

For many students, the closure marks the loss of another familiar dining option. Along with the earlier departure of Subway last year and Steak ‘n Shake in 2019, Chick-fil-A helped anchor daily routines between classes, meetings and quick meals.

“I mostly come for Chick-fil-A,” freshman Katelynn Turner said. “I’ll study sometimes, but usually after I eat.”

“Places like Chick-fil-A brought people in — even non-students,” law student Jenna Zumbahlen said. “It gave people a reason to come to the Student Center even if they weren’t already planning to be there.”

Zumbahlen said if she ever forgot her lunch, she would run over from the law school to grab Chick-fil-A. She said restaurants like Chick-fil-A brought more people into the Student Center and helped create a more active environment.

Beyond the loss of a popular restaurant, some students say the Student Center has grown quieter in recent years. Once a central gathering space, the building now offers fewer reasons for students to linger outside of studying or passing through.

“The biggest difference has been the known restaurants closing down — first Subway and now Chick-fil-A,” Zumbahlen said. “The options are dwindling. That has definitely reduced foot traffic in the Student Center and changed the overall atmosphere.”

Turner said the closure could affect how often she visits the Student Center.

“Now that Chick-fil-A is leaving, I probably won’t be going to the Student Center as often,” she said.

Epplin said a replacement is already planned. The Student Center will open the 1869 Grille, a new dining concept named for the year SIU was chartered. 

The restaurant has been in development for several years and was originally expected to open earlier but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to past DE reporting.

The restaurant is expected to serve classic menu items such as hamburgers, fries, chicken tenders and grilled sandwiches, with an emphasis on affordability.

“I think having a well-known, in-demand fast food chain like Chick-fil-A is more appealing to students than what the new place will likely be,” she said. “It might help bring people in, but it probably won’t fully replace that same feeling.”

Other students, however, are less concerned about the change.

“I don’t think it will affect how much I come to the Student Center,” junior Dylan Chausse said. “The new place they’re opening actually seems like it might be better.”

Students will have an opportunity to preview the new concept during a taste test scheduled for Tuesday, May 5 at noon on the first floor of the Student Center, where feedback will help shape the final menu.

In addition, Epplin said the Student Center and University Housing have partnered with a foodservice consultant to plan future dining options and expand meal offerings for students.

“I’ve always liked running into people there while they’re grabbing food or just hanging out,” Zumbahlen said. “It made the space feel more active, and I do think fewer people will go there now.”

Staff Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at [email protected]. Staff Reporter Tay Acree can be reached at [email protected]

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