In the dining halls of Fordham University in New York City, it’s not uncommon for students to grab a piece of Buffalo chicken, a tortilla and a plate of veggies—all from different stations—to make their own customized wrap. As a matter of fact, this practice is even encouraged by Sodexo, the school’s foodservice provider.
Last fall, Fordham’s Student Culinary Council (SCC) discovered that students were combining menu items from several different stations to add some variety to their daily meals. The council’s 10-student executive board brought the news to Sodexo’s staff, who embraced the idea and worked with the council to create and promote a campus-wide ‘secret’ menu.
“This program was really designed to bring out students’ creativity and to show them we are working closely with our students to meet their needs,” says John Azzopardi, resident district manager for Sodexo at Fordham.
Common items on the ‘secret’ menu include:
- Buffalo chicken quesadilla, which consists of a Buffalo chicken fillet, a tortilla, shredded cheese and ranch dressing.
- Toasted veggie wrap, which combines a veggie burger, grilled vegetables and a tortilla that is toasted on the grill at the burrito station.
- Banana breakfast wrap, made with a tortilla, sliced bananas and peanut butter.
The council and staff promote the ‘secret’ menu through social media. Sodexo staff also is in the process of creating social media contests to further engage students to share their most creative or healthiest combinations.
Sodexo also is taking the student-led menu into consideration when creating new items. One popular ‘secret’ menu item, Buffalo chicken wraps, has led to more, similar items, such as Buffalo chicken pizza, being added to the regular menu, Azzopardi says.