Students who have been to late night dining at Whitmans’, colloquially known as Snar, within the past three weeks may have noticed a new addition to the dining hall’s appliances: Fresh Blends, a tall, green machine that spits out an array of drink items with the press of a button. The machine, which sells for approximately $30,000 on some restaurant supply websites, replaced a blender that Dining Services staff would use to make shakes and smoothies. Snar-goers can now choose from a larger selection of drinks, including fruit smoothies, frozen lemonades, milkshakes, frappes, refreshers, and frozen coffees.
“I think it is a great addition,” said Snar frequenter Ariella Scheer ’26 of the new machine. “There are now more options, and it’s more exciting,” Scheer, whose favorite Fresh Blends drink is the mango smoothie, said the new drink options are “refreshing and tasty.”
“Its introduction has diversified our meal offerings significantly, and with the added benefit that every drink is gluten-free, it provides more options for students with dietary restrictions,” Senior Operations Manager for Paresky Charlotte Clark wrote in an email to the Record.
However, not all at Snar shared this enthusiasm for the Fresh Blends machine.
“I find the new milkshakes to be icy, and I miss the creamier taste in the old ones,” Snar milkshake enthusiast Emily Stanger ’25 wrote in an email to the Record.
“I had a milkshake from the machine the other night and I enjoyed it, but personally found it very icy and a bit watered down,” Aidan McMahon ’26, self-described “mega-Snar fan,” said. “I prefer the way they used to make the shakes, with a blender, ice cream, and milk, as the texture was smoother and the flavor was fuller.”
Along with a modified Snar drink menu, the addition of the Fresh Blends machine has changed the role of staff who prepare Snar drink orders. Previously, dining staff made the drinks by hand, putting ingredients into a blender and pouring the final mixture into a cup. Now, dining staff workers who prepare Snar drink orders simply press a few buttons, and the Fresh Blends machine does the rest. “Kudos to our dedicated staff who have quickly become adept at delivering these Fresh Blends with ease and expertise,” Clark wrote.
Despite this, some students expressed frustration with the increased amount of time it now takes to receive a drink. “The milkshake I ordered the other night took 20 minutes to make, and I think that’s a bit long to wait for a milkshake,” McMahon added. “I also completely understand this is by no fault of the Snar staff but rather an issue with the machine.”
Clark said that Dining Services is aware of these longer-than-usual lines, due to the high demand for Snar’s new drink offerings. “We are actively refining our processes to enhance efficiency at this station, including repositioning products nearer to the machinery and streamlining operations for the staff,” she wrote.
Regardless, students remain optimistic for this new age of Snar. “I’ve only had positive experiences with the new machine,” Scheer said. “I think I’ll end up going to Snar more now.”
