Dining Halls of Distinction A taste of the best campus dining programs By Melissa Ezarik October 2009

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DINING FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS ARE an integral part of campus life. Long gone are cafeteria-style dining areas with cafeteria-quality food. Today’s students can savor a dining experience that rivals the best home cooking and their favorite restaurants—and college and university dining services departments are delivering just that. Program administrators realize that customer service and diner input are key. And they know that both environmental sustainability and financial stability are expected. Our Dining Halls of Distinction represent stellar programs that have features worth emulating elsewhere. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find on these campuses.

New Commons just opened in February 2008, but by student request it feels much like the old dining facility. The main seating area is the same size, with a similar vaulted ceiling. And if the tables look familiar, that’s because many were reused. The $24 million facility, designed by Sasaki Associates, serves as the center of interaction on the campus (Bates has no student center building).

Seating is on two levels, with booths and tables for two to 10. With some of the seven offering types located at the center of the servery and others on the outskirts, traffic flow is steady; within 30 to 45 minutes, 500 people or more can get through.

One of the first college members of the Green Restaurant Association, Bates’ dining program is sustainable from its core on out. Built to LEED Silver standards, the facility is self-ventilated, using 100 percent Maine renewable electricity. A grease recovery system allows the sale of oil to a biodiesel producer. The main ceiling features reclaimed wood, and local finishes and bricks were used. A full 82 percent of waste is diverted from the waste stream—composted, recycled, or sent to a pig farmer. There’s no need for a dumpster. Nearly one-third of the food budget is spent locally, thanks in part to a $2.5 million endowment gift in 2008 for local, natural, and organic food purchases. Buying locally in season, as well as buying in bulk, seeking opportunities for combined purchasing and aftermarket buying, and decreasing delivery frequency has helped keep costs in check.

Keeping student concerns in check involves manager face time and a food advisory committee that meets twice a month. The dining team also engages students by having some fun with responses on its napkin board—which can be viewed both in the dining facility and virtually. After all, late-night cravings and brainstorming go hand in hand. Continued: http://tinyurl.com/yezyhxd

With 28,000 square feet, The Fresh Food Co. at West Campus is Boston University’s largest main dining facility. Operated by Aramark, it primarily serves residents of the two high-rise dorms it links as well as three others close by. The facility has a nostalgic view—BU’s athletic field, former home to the Boston Braves team from which Babe Ruth retired.

Inside, guests can eat at bar stools, circular booths, or tables for two to eight. Glass partitions and stone columns break up the eating area into comfortable nooks, and wall-to-wall carpeting and upholstered banquettes help keep noise levels down.

Ingredients are on display and meals prepared in sight. Students are encouraged to enjoy each course separately, heading back for more as appetites allow. Diners tend to save room for the famous West Burger, BU’s own version of a patty melt. Although the urban campus setting offers many alternate dining options, students have reported that the meals here “rank right up there with the best restaurants they’ve ever visited,” says Craig Hill, associate vice president for auxiliary services. During an April open house, accepted students get a taste of campus dining at an upscale (yet casual) lunch.

Dining staff undergo initial and ongoing training, and premeal meetings ensure that everyone is current on menus and customer service focus points. E-mail surveys, focus groups, and Dining Service Advisory Board meetings keep the team current on what matters most to students. Catering to the high expectations of Millennials for sustainability, programs involve sustainable food choices, energy usage, waste management, and green cleaning. A sustainability bulletin board features stats on recycling, local food items of the month, and a farmer profile—proving that even at a large urban campus students can feel in touch with the local agricultural community. Continued: http://tinyurl.com/y8hllsw

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