Service members and their families wait for their orders at the newly renovated food court on Camp Walker, South Korea, Feb. 26, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP WALKER, South Korea — Dozens of relieved and hungry diners lined up at the food court on this U.S. Army base in Daegu when it reopened after nearly seven months of renovations.
The food court inside the Army and Air Force Exchange Service at Camp Walker closed in September as part of a larger renovation project but resumed operations last week.
The upgrades added more seating for diners and introduced a new restaurant, Pizza Hut, base spokesman Philip Molter wrote in an email Wednesday, the grand opening.
Seating capacity nearly doubled to 122 patrons, with larger booths and window views of the parking lot, Molter said. The renovations also brought additional kitchen equipment to the existing restaurants, Subway and Taco Bell.
Service members and their families dine at the newly renovated food court on Camp Walker, South Korea, Feb. 26, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
Army spouse Ericka Burno brought her two sons to the reopening and said she was “super excited” to have more dining options again.
“When it was gone, it felt like forever,” she said, smiling. “Since we don’t have a ton of choices in Camp Walker, this is also like a social thing, not just for kids or adults, but for families to come.”
Burno said she frequently cooks tacos and other Mexican cuisine at home, but added, “There’s just something about Taco Bell.”
The overall $7.4 million project includes design changes to the post exchange, Molter said. The exchange remains open as it undergoes renovations and is expected to fully reopen later this year.
During the food court’s closure, dining options on base were limited to a Burger King, the Windy City Bowl & Grill, food trucks, and the dining hall.
For troops and their families living in and around Camp Walker, the reopening was a highly anticipated event.
Pfc. Diego Davis, a tactical power generation specialist assigned to the 188th Military Police Company, arrived at Walker in mid-September, just as sections of the food court were demolished.
“We can now stay on post without any problems trying to get food,” he said at the food court Wednesday. “Sometimes we don’t have enough time to go off post, so having the ability to come here, just get some food, is very nice and convenient.”
The base opened a new $46 million hotel last month after four years of construction. The seven-story, 79-room Camp Walker Lodge replaces a lodge built in 2002 that had just 58 rooms and limited parking.
