After months of anticipation, Josiah’s will officially begin churning out milkshakes on April 2, marking the end of a year-long initiative by the Undergraduate Council of Students. The announcement came via an email from the UCS on March 17.
Students will be able to choose between a 20-ounce milkshake with a side or an 8-ounce milkshake with a meal for one meal swipe, according to a campus-wide email sent by the UCS. The milkshakes will be offered every day starting at 6 p.m.
The UCS Vice President Talib Reddick ’26 said that after seeing Sidechat posts about the demand for milkshakes, he “decided to take on the challenge of bringing them to Jo’s.” While working on the initiative, Reddick said he worked closely with George Barboza, the vice president of Brown Dining Services, and Robert Noyes, the director of retail.
“We are finalizing install details and operational training,” Barboza wrote in an email to The Herald.
“This wouldn’t have happened without the heavy lifting from Brown’s Dining Team and without students using their voices to make their wishes clear,” Reddick said.
“Too much work has been put into this for it to only be a limited-time offering,” Reddick said. He added that a “variety of flavors” will be offered, which will be shared in the coming weeks.
Since Jo’s did not have the electrical capacity for blenders at the time, the installation was not immediately possible, Reddick wrote. Instead, the UCS launched the sundae bar in February 2024.
“The sundaes are good, but I think the milkshakes will be better,” Daniel Amadi ’27 said. “I think it’s a long-awaited addition to the dining hall, and I’m really excited about it.”
But not all students are excited by the milkshakes.
“I think Josiah’s is already a dining hall that has a lot of processed foods, and adding milkshakes on top of that isn’t the best,” Ohemaa Sarpong ’28 said, noting the fried chicken sandwiches and burgers that are offered daily.
“I think it leads to a lot of temptation,” Sarpong said.
Sarpong proposed adding smoothies to Jo’s to “reduce wait times at Ivy Room.” The Ivy Room offers smoothies daily, an initiative that began in 2007 as part of an initiative to bring local, healthy food options to Brown.
Although he said he was initially excited, Tony Fusco ’28 raised concerns about the practicality of the new milkshakes and the impact the station will have on the Jo’s atmosphere.
“Josiah’s has some of the best music in the dining halls, and I’m not sure how the blending machines will affect that atmosphere,” he said. Fusco added he was also worried about the increased traffic due to the addition of milkshakes.
But Amadi said the milkshakes will provide a “good balance” with Jo’s current offerings.
“I love Jo’s,” Amadi said. “I think it’s turning into one of the best dining halls on campus.”
