Bryan Center Plaza was bustling Wednesday in celebration of Duke Dining location It’s Thyme, which was recognized for its commitment to allergy-friendly dining.
Food Allergy Research & Education awarded It’s Thyme the FARECheck Gold recognition, certifying that it is free of the nine most common allergens and gluten. The Duke Dining location is the first standalone dining venue in the nation to receive the award.
“This is a deep commitment on Duke Dining's part, which is to make sure that our campus is safer for all of our students and all of our visitors,” said Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs. “… It's a huge piece of how we create a truly welcoming and truly inclusive campus here at Duke and in Durham.”
According to Anita Roach, FARECheck senior vice president of education and health, FARECheck has spent the last three years visiting dining programs and completing rigorous on-site audits, food allergy policy review and staff training for food allergy safety.
The celebration offered free samples of It’s Thyme’s açaí base options and their lavender lemonade, a DJ booth, games and merchandise. Representatives from the app Spokin, a guide app for living with allergies, distributed allergen-safe snacks. The four-hour event also featured speeches from Roach and McMahon, as well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon.
It’s Thyme replaced Panda Express in 2023 after its contract with the University expired. The new dining location sought to create an allergen-free dining experience for students. However, many considered Panda Express a staple for affordable food on Duke’s campus over its 15-year stint, with some expressing concerns about its closure.
In 2023, Student Affairs reported that amid a growing number of students with severe allergies, 63% could be attributed to either tree nuts or peanuts.
Duke became the first university dining program to achieve FARECheck Gold Status for an entire facility, with Trinity Café and Marketplace recognized in 2023.
This semester, It’s Thyme became the newest campus location to accept first-year dinner equivalency.
“I am so impressed with Duke. We took a tour of East Campus Dining [and] we've gotten to know the team here at Duke Dining,” said Susie Hultquist, founder and CEO of Spokin. “We see what the offerings are, we see the level of care.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.