On-campus PicoCoolers offer healthy, alternative food options during afternoons and evenings

PiccoCooler

Quick reference: where to find the PicoCoolers

  • Building K in the lounge near the Honors Hub
  • Building E
  • Building G atrium area (Halal options)

PicoCoolers are available whenever the buildings are open, which means you have access to healthy food options in afternoons and evenings when other campus food options are closed.

The HFC Student Council listened to the concerns of the HFC student body about not having on-campus access to healthy food options after 2:00 p.m., when the Skylight Café on the main campus closes. Student Council worked on this during the 2025-2026 academic year.

The result has been the installation of PicoCoolers, which are refrigeration vending units on the first floors of the Technology Building (Building E) and the Reuther Liberal Arts Building (Building K), both of which are on the main campus. The PicoCoolers offer salads, sandwiches, meats and cheeses, quick meals, and grab-and-go snacks. These offerings are significantly different than the typical vending machines fare of candy bars, cookies, chips and similar.

"These are meant to be a quick, easy access option for students to grab – especially for the students who take classes after 2:00 p.m., as well as the students who have busy schedules and lack the time to leave campus and grab something to eat," said Student Council Chair Easton Anthony Socola, who was Vice Chair when this initiative was first proposed. "I'd like to emphasize that these options are meant to be convenient and quick. The amount of times I've been on campus and ignored my nutrition to focus on other things is astounding. There is a large amount of research regarding nutrition and student success. After looking into this, I try to grab something to eat before my night classes."

A feasible option for quick access to healthier food

To keep the food items affordable, prices range from 79¢ to $7 per food item. The PicoCoolers do not accept cash. The require credit or debit cards.

There are microwaves and tables near the PicoCoolers, so you can heat up your food if you wish. We ask that you keep the area tidy once you are finished eating.

"This project was initially inspired by a collection of student feedback. The No. 1 concern we had was a lack of food options after 2:00 p.m., which prompted the Student Council to work toward a solution," explained Socola. "This was quite a learning experience for us. It started by running a survey to get more concise feedback on our future plans, which ended up being one of the most responded-to surveys in our history! After this, we began the discussion with faculty and staff regarding plans for some supplemental food options."

Working alongside the College's administration, the Student Council explored a variety of options, including mini-markets and other restaurants on campus. Socola met with representatives from HFC’s Finance department, the Skylight Café, and Aramark – HFC's current vendor – to make sure everyone was on board with the plan. Aramark proposed the PicoCoolers, which turned out to be the most feasible option. The PicoCoolers are a pilot program. Once the Student Council gets more feedback, it will determine future plans from there.

A huge collaboration and accomplishment, plus halal options

The students did a great job of engaging support from the College. Director of Student Activities Dr. Cassandra Fluker, who is also the advisor for the Student Council, provided essential support for the students as they framed their ideas, collected input from students, determined viable options, and prepared an informational proposal to present to the HFC Board of Trustees.

The students also presented their proposal to Cabinet for feedback. Dr. Laura Willman and the Institutional Research team assisted with the student survey, which provided key information as the student leaders revised and honed their ideas and proposal. And Dan Murray and the procurement team assisted with conversations with Aramark for the supplier side of the proposal. The Marketing and Communications team has assisted in promoting information about the new food options, and will install signage and continue promotions so all students can be aware of these options.

“The Student Council is certainly fulfilling its mission of representing students and enhancing campus life at HFC,” said Fluker. “The installation of the PicoCoolers is a huge accomplishment, increasing food access and meeting the needs of students, especially those who attend afternoon and evening classes. The Council actively listened to peers, built relationships with staff, and worked diligently to drive change. In addition to the food machines in Buildings E and K, the Council advocated for halal options, resulting in the recent installation of a halal-products machine in Building G. I am proud of the Student Council for using its voice and making a difference at HFC. The group works on behalf of students and is recognized by the HFC administration and Board of Trustees for its efforts. We are committed to supporting our students, who are the core of our institution, and providing a conducive environment for them to learn and grow."

PicoCoolers have been well-received

The PicoCoolers were placed in the Technology and Liberal Arts Buildings because of the amount of foot traffic. Socola will review data before moving to install more PicoCoolers on the rest of the main campus and on the East Campus.

"We would like to expand some form of food options across most of the campus. This will be dependent on the feedback we receive," said Socola. "This is something we are still gauging. We are working to create a survey for students to give us mass feedback on what they like, what they don't like, and anything else. Talking to faculty and students across campus, the PicoCoolers have been fairly well-received so far."

Socola pointed out that the price of a food item decreases as it nears its expiration date. Food items are removed after their expiration date.

"Depending on the food items, the prices are meant to align. Smaller, quick snacks will be cheaper, and the food items closer to meals are a bit more expensive. Aramark's system for the PicoCoolers tracks the sales, expiration dates, and more," he said. "This allows the machine to automatically lower prices for items that would soon go to waste. Personally, I really think this system is very useful because it takes some of the cost off of the user and minimizes food waste."

The process of getting the PicoCoolers onto campus took some work. Socola stated the Student Council worked with all the appropriate parties for two semesters on this project before it came to fruition.

"I do think there is value to bringing these types of initiatives to the campus," he said. "I'd like to make certain that this is only the start. The future of what this could become is in the power of the students succeeding us."