While college campuses were relatively quiet over the summer, foodservice operators in a number of schools were busy coming up with ways to improve dining services. Their ideas now are ready to be tested out by returning customers. These are some of the surprises in store for students as they make their way back to campus this month and next.
North Carolina State created a separate Twitter and Instagram account dedicated to highlighting healthy menu items. The Raleigh college uses the hashtag #WellFedWolfPack to post photos and tweets that point students to items such as veggie-topped flatbreads and salads made with local tomatoes.
Students at University of Maryland in College Park no longer need their student IDs or meal cards to eat in the dining halls. New technology in the form of a biometric reader allows students to enter by simply waving their hand over a scanner at the turnstile. The system reads four fingerprints at one time and converts them into data that is used to reference students’ dining plan accounts. Students just need to bring their hands and IDs to enroll in the Anytime Dining program.
Instead of going with national chains like Panda Express and Burger King in its food courts, several of the new dining concepts at University of Louisville in Kentucky are local and regional restaurants. Mark's Feed Store is a popular local barbecue spot, Twisted Taco is a four-unit “AmeriMex” chain based in Georgia and City Cafe is a Louisville sandwich shop. The local flavor is a point of differentiation and a draw for students coming from the area and surrounding Southern states.
University of Texas at Austin is debuting a food concept called FAST (Fresh and Simple Tastes) for students with food allergies. Every item served is prepared on the line and is free from the top eight allergens (milk, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs) as well as gluten. Choices include salsa verde chicken tostadas and polenta with lentil mushroom ragu. The FAST station is incorporated into the Jester dining hall so as not to isolate allergic customers from other students, but UT Austin also expects health-conscious eaters to take advantage of the lean proteins, fresh produce and whole grains that make up the menu, said Jess Mitchell, assistant director of communications in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
To compete with the wing chains that surround its Lafayette, Ind. campus, chefs at Purdue University introduced a wing line, partnering with students for flavor inspiration. “We now have the Wings Dining Court, featuring sauces designed by students,” said Greg Minner, director of dining services at Purdue. “It’s better than B-Dubs.”
Students also had a say in the summer makeover of Belk Dining Hall at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. The new ceiling, paint colors, furnishings and lighting give the interior a Tuscan feel, said Sharon Campbell, director of facilities services, in a press release. Another new addition is a patio with outdoor seating. Campus Dining Director Scott Lamond said that a “place to socialize” continually ranks highly with students in Meredith’s Dining Styles survey, so Belk also is extending dining hours in the new space with the start of the fall semester.
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