Ball State dining services has cut the ribbon on a new, university-operated food truck that will serve refreshments and healthy food options to students on the go.

According to Ball State Daily, the new mini food truck will operate in the heart of Ball State’s campus on a heavily trafficked walkway between the University Theatre and Bracken Library. The food truck will begin serving students at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

The initiative at Ball State, as with many other institutions that choose to add food trucks to their repertoire, is intended to offer students more options. Students can elect to pay for meals at the food truck via their meal plan, credit card, Dining Plus, Dining Cash, Cardinal Cash, or cash.

Also key to the food truck is an emphasis on the university’s commitment to sustainability. “We listened to our customers,” said Karen Adkins, director of dining services and dining initiatives, in a Ball State Daily interview. “We wanted to roll it out and see what our customers think.”

According to university dining services, the on-campus food truck concept had been in the works since last spring and intended to open its doors alongside warmer weather.

“We didn’t get our wish, but we’re out here anyway,” Adkins said. “We [wanted to] get everybody in that healthy mindset of the spring, and we were hoping to have sunshine and warm weather to kind of boost that thought process.”

The mini food truck will sell primarily healthy dining options and will include daily vegetarian and vegan meals served in plant-based to-go containers. The truck will also serve two to three rotating entrees priced at each day of the week, along with two signature entrees available all week. Entree items will be priced at $5.00, while side items will cost $2.50

To further drive home the healthy initiative, all menu items from the food truck are less than 550 calories. To help spread the word on and inspire students to make purchases, free samples are being offered throughout the first week of operation.