KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Airmen at this air base in western South Korean have a new place to eat with the opening of the new O’Malley Dining Facility, a state-of-the-art, $22 million project that doubles the size and capacity of its predecessor.

The facility officially opened Wednesday, Christmas Day, on a site adjacent to the old dining hall, now demolished. The new facility features a host of upgrades.

At approximately 39,000 square feet, the new facility is more than twice the size of the old building and can seat up to 800 personnel at a time, compared to just 300 in the old facility, 8^th Fighter Wing spokesman Capt. Alvin Nelson said by email to Stars and Stripes on Thursday.

It can also feed more than twice as many people during each meal period than its predecessor.

“The previous DFAC was designed to service 830 personnel per meal period, but the number of personnel on meal cards has increased over the years,” Nelson wrote.

“The new facility is designed to service just under 2,000 personnel and can serve approximately 15,000 meals daily during normal feeding hours.”

A post on Kunsan’s official Facebook page Dec. 23 labeled the new facility the largest of its kind in Pacific Air Forces. By comparison, the largest dining facility in the Air Force is Mitchell Hall at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. It can serve the entire cadet wing, about 4,000 people, in less than 30 minutes, according to the academy website.

The expanded size and upgraded features at the O’Malley have been well-received by both staff and diners, said Senior Airman Ambrielle Allen, a shift leader at the facility.

“Walking in and seeing the dining room and the open space — it’s huge and impressive,” she told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday. “It has more space, newer equipment, and more opportunities because it’s getting a lot of new faces in.”

The modernized facility is designed to enhance safety and efficiency, with wider kitchen pathways, freezers with safety alarms and a dedicated indoor area for carry-out and box meal pickups, according to Nelson.

“The larger food storage capacities and the largest generator on base will also help prevent food waste during a power outage,” he wrote.

Airman 1^st Class Brandon Valente, an aircraft metals technology specialist with the 8th Maintenance Squadron, said the new design and atmosphere are significant improvements.

“It’s a big upgrade with a lot more atmosphere,” Valente said Wednesday at the dining hall. “The booths on the side -- I don’t see many DFACs with those.”

The facility also includes higher ceilings and more natural light, creating an inviting environment for airmen.

“It’s great for getting together with friends during lunch or after shifts,” Airman 1^st Class Christian Driver, also with the 8th Maintenance Squadron, said Wednesday. “Its size and ease of access, no long lines and efficient service make it special.”

Construction on the dining facility began in 2022 and was completed earlier this year, Nelson wrote. The project was funded by South Korea through the Ministry of National Defense’s Defense Installation Agency, with oversight from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron.

The transition from the old facility, which ceased operations on Oct. 1, came with challenges, such as moving large equipment.

Allen said she considered her part in the project an accomplishment. “I’m proud because my hands were part of making this happen,” she said.