After temporarily suspending campus operations following an incident where a Krishna box truck struck a student, Krishna Lunch’s presence on UF campus has been permanently banned, according to UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldán.
Bob Cohen, Krishna Lunch senior adviser, said he hadn’t heard from UF since the accident until the restrictions were announced. He said UF was silent following the event, and the group didn’t hear from the university until the ban was announced Aug. 19.
“We said, ‘OK, give it some cooling off time,’ and [UF] refused to talk to us,” Cohen said. “Finally, I wrote them again and again … They sent a letter saying, ‘Don’t come back,’ and nobody will talk or discuss it with us.”
In an email sent on Aug. 19, Brandi Renton, UF’s vice president of business affairs, wrote that the memorandum of understanding between the organization and UF has been terminated, and it was no longer authorized to operate on campus.
Krishna Lunch previously offered free lunches on the Plaza of the Americas and heavily encouraged donations. Krishna Lunch is part of the larger Krishna House in Midtown Gainesville and the Hare Krishna religious movement.
The Krishna movement is rooted in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which focuses on community service and peace. Originating in 1960s New York City, the belief system is derived from the Indian Vaishnava tradition.
While the organization navigates the shift in operations after the ban, students share mixed reactions.
Spencer Mallott, a 20-year-old UF psychology junior, occasionally ate Krishna Lunch. While Mallott enjoyed having another meal option on campus, he said he thought the food was mediocre.
“I thought it was all right … it was a pretty convenient location,” Mallott said.
Krishna Lunch was well-known for its vegetarian and vegan options, with international students making up a significant portion of its regulars, according to Cohen.
Ultimately, Mallott said he supported the school’s decision to ban Krishna Lunch from campus.
“I don't know what kind of timeline would look like if they were to come back,” he said. “I don’t know if it was someone stepping out or a distracted driver, but I think they need to show that they would be changed so that the situation wouldn’t happen again.”
Amara Lawn, a 20-year-old UF chemistry junior, agreed the ban was justified. She was shocked by the crash last Spring, she said, and followed news of it and its aftermath.
Lawn was also critical of how Krishna Lunch advertised donations. At times, she felt members would guilt students into paying for the meal, she said.
Krishna Lunch previously faced backlash from students for not emphasizing the fact payments were voluntary donations to the organization, and meals could be free upon request.
“They were already toeing a fine line,” she said.
But some frequent Krishna Lunch attendees have viewed the ban differently. Nicolas Diaz, a 20-year-old UF philosophy junior, said he ate Krishna Lunch with his friends on occasion because it was an affordable option for him and many other students.
Now, Diaz and other students have one less option for meals on campus, he said, and he doesn’t think the change is for the better.
“I feel like it’s unfortunate to take such a wide, broad action like that over one event,” Diaz said. “It is kind of unfortunate they’re not here anymore.”
Contact Sofia Garcia at sofiagarcia@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @sconsuelogarcia.
Sofia Garcia is a first-year journalism and political science double major at UF and serving as the student government reporter for Fall 2026. This is her first semester at The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing video games, or connecting with her friends and family back home in Miami.
