From 11 a.m to 1:30 p.m on weekdays, the smell and warmth of Krishna Lunch has become a staple on the Plaza of the Americas. Krishna has become ingrained in UF culture, and recently, the organization sought to step up its game.
Hare Krishna, a religious organization providing donation-based vegetarian meals, created a GoFundMe on Nov. 26, 2025, for new lunch equipment, including new food carts and a truck. The improvements would help make midday lunch distribution smoother, said Adi Syama, the 36-year-old Krishna member who organized the fundraising website.
Syama said Krishna currently has between 10 and 15 small carts for lunch. Its older, in-use carts come from decommissioned airlines and are modified to be wider to fit Krishna’s growing lunchtime menu options.
“Those carts are not meant to be ridden on the hard concrete floors but more meant for the soft carpet of the airplane aisle,” he said. “It makes them go out much faster.”
Syama said he always thought their carts could be more efficient, and as he brainstormed ideas, he thought having bigger electrical carts would be more effective than smaller airline carts.
However, in order to suit Krishna’s deliveries, the carts would need to be custom-made, with an estimated total price of $7,500.
In addition to its carts, Krishna is also looking to upgrade its truck. Syama used to be a mechanic, and he said he noticed some issues with the current truck, like the reverse gear taking too long to engage. Krishna’s truck is used to bring food from the off-campus Krishna House to Plaza for lunches, a distance of a little over half a mile.
Krishna’s online donation page currently has a goal of $30,000. As of Jan. 19, $710 had been raised.
Krishna’s meals are always offered for free, Syama said, but donations are important to help pay for even just the food used in meals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, donation inflow slowed, he said.
“We are donation-based, but at the same time, we have to buy all the produce,” Syama said. “We have a saying that Krishna Lunch doesn’t grow on trees.”
In Spring 2025, Krishna disclosed that it lost $89,000 in the prior two years. Donations are essential to cover insurance and food costs. UF encouraged Krishna to clarify its meals were free, and donations were encouraged but not required.
On top of providing meals for those who need them, Krishna values quality meals, he said.
“If you go to any other place, your beans or chickpeas, they’ll come in cans,” Syama said. “We buy them dry; we spend extra time cooking them.”
With the costs of produce already in the picture, he said, the online fundraiser was initiated to help with the high costs for the new truck and carts.
“It’s been a bit of a slow start, but we’re hopeful,” Syama said.
Krishna in the community
Kenneth Solomon, a 67-year-old who has been involved with Krishna since 2006, describes the atmosphere as vibrant, joyful and full of youthful energy.
“It’s quite a feat to prepare and serve that many meals,” Solomon said. “People are very cooperative and like what they’re doing.”
Solomon not only volunteered with Krishna but also ate food from the lunch carts during his time as an employee at Smathers Library.
“I was right there, and I would go to Krishna Lunch multiple times per week,” he said.
Solomon retired from UF in 2021, but he’s still an active member working with Krishna, crafting meal menus and making them more cost effective.
Sofia Tarno, a 21-year-old UF political science junior, said she gets her lunch from Krishna every once in a while, but she feels tempted to stop by more often than she already does.
“They always smell so good, and I feel like the environment is so nice here,” Tarno said.
Krishna provides for a variety of people, she said, which helps build community on campus between all backgrounds. She added services bring people together, because it isn’t meant for one certain demographic, but to help everyone.
“My mom is an alum from UF, and even she remembers Krishna,” Tarno said. “It’s something that I feel like is essential to school.”
Contact Leona Masangkay at lmasangkay@alligator.org. Follow them on X @leo_amasangkay.
Leona is a second-year journalism student and the Fall 2025 Santa Fe College reporter. They previously worked on the audience and growth team over the summer as a social media strategist. In their free time, Leona enjoys going to the gym, listening to music and watching Marvel movies.
