The Hickey Dining Hall
Photo courtesy of Chris Doody
BY: CARSON HAYEK, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Cattaraugus County Health Department cited St. Bonaventure’s main dining hall, the Hickey Dining Hall, for two health code violations – one critical (conditions that could lead to food-borne illness) and one non-critical (conditions that don’t pose an immediate risk to public health) – during its most recent health department inspection on Feb. 19. Still, Cattaraugus County Health Director Kevin Watkins said health inspectors determined the Hickey to be safe for students and visitors to eat at.
According to NYDatabases.com, a public records website, the critical violation involved foods that needed to be kept cold being left at room temperature, increasing the risk of spoilage and harmful bacteria growth. The non-critical violation came from food not being stored properly during handling, transportation, or serving.
Watkins said that county health inspections come unannounced at least twice a year, and, when doing health inspections, the county covers a wide range of health factors.
“We evaluate key public health factors including employee health practices, prevention of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods… required cooking temperatures, protection of food from contamination during storage,… proper storage of toxic chemicals, availability of adequate handwashing stations, approved dishwashing equipment and methods and overall cleanliness, ” said Watkins.
In a Nov. 2023 article, The Bona Venture reported that from 2007 to 2023, the Hickey had 31 critical health violations and 27 non-critical health violations. Of those 31 critical violations, 15 came from potentially hazardous foods such as meats, starches, and dairy products not being kept cold enough (below 45 degrees Fahrenheit).
The dining hall has had at least one critical violation in every inspection since 2014, according to NYDatabases.com. Since Nov. 2023, the Hickey Dining Hall has recorded six critical violations — in Feb. and Oct. 2024, Feb. and Nov. 2025, and Feb. 2026 — along with nine noncritical violations. Three of the critical violations involved hazardous foods not being kept hot enough (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Even with having a critical health violation in every inspection since at least 2014, Nicole Clark, the general manager for Dining Services at Bonaventure, said food safety at the dining hall is a top concern, and staff attempt to correct any violations immediately.
“Food safety is our top priority at the Hickey Dining Hall,” said Clark. “We follow strict standards at every step, from ordering and receiving food to storing, preparing, cooking and serving it…Our staff is trained in food safety, sanitation, and allergen awareness, and many hold ServSafe and AllerTrain certifications.”
Students expressed mixed reviews about dining hall safety.
“My experience [in the Hickey] has been pretty good,” said Grace McIntyre, a sophomore journalism major. “I come in here pretty often and I stay in here for a few hours. I don’t think there’s been any issues with food safety. I think they are all on top of things and they change the food pretty quickly.”
On the flip side, some students said they have felt sick after eating at the dining hall.
“The safety depends on the food,” said Connor Turner, a senior finance major. “It depends on when you eat the chicken. The chicken is not safe [as it can be undercooked].”
Jacob Hernandez, a freshman biology major, also said he felt sick after eating at the Hickey, but credited the dining hall for its efforts to accommodate those with allergies.
“I’m going to be honest with you, I had this white rice for lunch, and I wasn’t feeling it afterwards,” said Hernandez. “I don’t know what it did to my stomach, but they also have signs that say what [allergens] are in each food, and they tell you what ingredients it contains.”
Students also said the dining hall needs to improve how it handles wasted food.
“Students throw too much away, and I’m guilty of that too,” said Kevin Kelly, a senior finance major. “When I’m hungry, I have eyes bigger than my stomach, and I’m sure others have the same problem.”
On a Sept. 16, 2025 Instagram post by sbu_dining, the dining hall reported that St. Bonaventure students waste an average of 272 pounds of food per day.
According to Clark, the dining hall orders food based on past data collected.
“Food is ordered based on forecasting tools and past data, inspected on arrival, stored properly, prepared by trained staff, cooked to safe temperatures, and served fresh. We track production and leftovers daily to help reduce waste.”
If students have any concerns or complaints, they can reach out to the Cattaraugus County Health Department at 716-701-3386, a dining hall manager on duty, or use the QR code feedback tools located in the dining hall.
