Sophia Vitela, a climate systems science freshman, said she would not have found the UT Outpost during her first visit last semester had she not run into a friend who gave her directions.

“Getting there, I was kind of startled a little bit, because initially I’d gone into the Student Services Building,” Vitela said. “I had no idea what level I was supposed to be on or anything like that.”

Vitela is not the only student who struggled to find the UT Outpost, an on-campus food pantry and career closet. In an effort to increase accessibility, the Outpost moved from the second floor of the University Avenue Building to the ground floor of the Student Services Building and opened on Jan 12.

The latest food pantry location has new refrigerators and features an estimated $600,000 renovation. The career closet, which offers students professional attire, also relocated across the hall from the food pantry.

Valeria Martin, associate director of basic needs in the Office of the Dean of Students, said the move offers accessibility advantages by being on the ground floor. She said the move comes as the Outpost has had increased use. Data from the Office of the Dean of Students show visits to the Outpost climbing from 8,371 for the 2022–2023 school year to 13,051 for the 2024–2025 school year — a 56% increase. For Martin, the growing demand indicated to the University a need for increased accessibility.

Operating out of a newer building also means the Outpost will face fewer maintenance issues, such as those that led to a six-week-long closure in February 2024, Martin said.

The new space also has a loading dock, which Martin said will make operating the Outpost easier for staff and volunteers.

“When we receive deliveries, they could just come straight into our space instead of having our students, staff and volunteers take food upstairs constantly,” Martin said.

Neuroscience sophomore Athitiya Singhapan, who shops at the Outpost monthly, said she thinks the change is helpful as students are already familiar with the Student Services Building. Visiting the University Avenue Building often required her to navigate construction in the area, Singhapan said.

“Overall, it (felt) like a little bit of a maze,” Singhapan said. “It’s also hard getting down there with 20 pounds of food.”

For students like Vitela and Singhapan, they said the change will be beneficial for them and others.

“(This is a) really nice way to introduce students to Outpost,” Singhapan said. “It would be really hard to stumble upon the UT Outpost at its prior location randomly.”