Photo By Scott Darling | A selection of sandwiches sits on display Feb. 18, 2026, at Fort Hood, Texas. 42...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — III Armored Corps and Fort Hood marked a milestone in Army food service modernization Feb. 18 with the official grand opening of 42 Bistro, the Army’s first campus-style dining venue.
Senior leaders and special guests gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the installation’s newest dining facility. Among those in attendance were Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command; Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood; and celebrity chef Robert Irvine. The facility, housed in the former Black Jack Dining Facility, opened for service after the ceremony.
“Today, we celebrate not just the remodeling of a building, but the opening of a new chapter in how we provide food service to our Soldiers and families on this installation,” Admiral said.
Mohan agreed the opening was much more significant than the building itself.
“Today, we are not just opening a building,” Mohan said. “We are making a significant step forward in our commitment to the Army’s most valuable asset, which is our people.”
The initiative aims to transform how the Army feeds its Soldiers by offering a modern, convenient and nutritious dining experience.
The III Armored Corps’ commander said the 42 Bistro name is an appropriate nod to the history of the installation and its service to the nation, while the dining concept represents the future.
“Fort Hood has been at the forefront of our nation’s defense and it’s fitting that we honor that legacy as we look toward the future,” Admiral said about the name. “As the Army continues to execute Transformation in Contact, the CSDV pilot will be a cornerstone of how we care for our Soldiers and families going forward.”
Led by AMC, the effort leverages private industry expertise to operate installation dining facilities in a model similar to those on college campuses. The approach directly responds to Soldier feedback requesting greater menu variety, expanded hours and improved dining environments.
“The campus-style dining menu represents a fundamental shift in the way that we view Soldiers’ quality of life,” Mohan said. “It’s about providing our men and women in uniform with the same quality, variety and modern atmosphere that we would find on a college campus or in a vibrant city.”
Compass Group USA, Inc. operated the 42 Bistro facility under a contract awarded in August 2025.
Under the supervision of a master chef, 42 Bistro features multiple food stations and offers several service options, including a la carte selections, dine-in seating, takeout and delivery. Extended hours and a contemporary atmosphere are designed to create a space where Soldiers want to dine, while maximizing their meal entitlements on post.
The menus at 42 Bistro are created with mostly locally sourced ingredients to ensure high-quality, fresh meals and a variety of choices across the seven stations..
The opening of 42 Bistro is something Irvine has waited years to see come to fruition. He has invested time and effort in improving the way Soldiers eat, to help create programs that provide nutritious, appetizing food to troops.
“This is life-changing for me, for this part of the journey of 14 years and three years with (Lt.) Gen. Mohan and the team and the chief to get to this point,” the chef said.
He worked collaboratively with the Army and Compass Group to create the CSDV.
“What I wanted was to go direct to a source, meaning as a restaurant would,” Irvine said, noting the goal was the freshest produce and the best meats to create the most flavorful and nutritious foods. “We worked with Army dietitians and AMC and Allison (Trinkle, vice president of culinary, Compass Group USA) … and literally created all these things.”
Installation leaders said the opening signals a significant step forward in enhancing quality of life for Soldiers and reflects the Army’s continued commitment to innovation and readiness through improved support services. U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Hood Commander Col. Mark R. McClellan said the opening marked a proud moment.
“It’s a major step in our commitment to connecting our Soldiers to resources, providing them with dining options that are healthy, convenient and affordable,” he said.
42 Bistro is open every day. Breakfast is offered 6:30-9:30 a.m. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and dinner is 4-6:30 p.m. Graze salad bar, ShakeSmart and Grab-and-Go items are available 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. weekends. Tradecraft Coffee is open 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekends. Information about Freedom Dollars can be found online at http://home.army.mil/hood/my-fort/all-services/dining-facilities.
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| Date Taken: | 02.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.26.2026 17:40 |
| Story ID: | 559023 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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