New Life for Campus Dining
Fri., Oct 10
Along with the new faces and new courses greeting students returning to campus this fall, a "new" Connecticut Hall is making a big splash within the Southern community. University dining was revitalized across the board over the summer, with Conn Hall at the center of this rejuvenation.
Most noticeably, the facility received a physical facelift, with a reconfigured dining area and new furniture and seating options. But below the surface, Conn Hall is now a lively social center for the campus community and a leader in the campus greening initiative.
Diners may now sit in booths, at counters and in an espresso lounge, in addition to group tables. The new design replaces the former more traditional dining facility with experiential "islands"- separate platforms where students can interact with chefs and create their own dining experiences.
The food service has also been revamped, with new features such as unlimited anytime dining from 7 a.m. to midnight for students, and new meal plans for commuter students and faculty and staff, as well as residential students. Expanded dining options include a wider range of food offerings and possible dining venues as well as the ability to access campus dining as often as desired.
On Aug. 28, faculty, staff and students crowded into the revitalized Conn Hall for a grand opening of the newly renovated dining facility and, with compliments of Chartwells, to taste some of the new food offerings. Guests sampled such tasty treats as pizza, soba noodles, Chinese dumplings, sliders, French fries, salads, sandwiches, desserts and vegan and vegetarian options.
Mark Ceneviva, the contract administrator for dining services, says, "Conn Hall used to be only for residential students, but now it's for everyone." Ceneviva says that the extended hours and unlimited dining are meant to appeal to students and that the block plans for faculty, staff and commuter students are more cost effective than paying cash.
Ceneviva also points with pride to the new Davis Hall food service venue, which opened recently. "Davis has never had a stable food store, and now it finally has one." He says that in January the Adanti Student Center food court, Engleman Bagel Wagon and North Campus Market will be renovated and that ultimately a food service kiosk is coming to Buley Library, once the library renovations are completed.
The campus dining makeover process started almost two years ago, says Ronald Herron, vice president for student and university affairs. Responses to a survey of students, faculty and staff formed "the conceptual basis for the changes we implemented," he says. "We found that students didn't consume their meals on a rigid schedule but are much more inclined to eat across the spectrum of the day."
The RFP was constructed out of the survey data, and during the last year the university engaged in a competitive bidding process. It has signed a new contract with Chartwells Compass, and Herron praises Chartwells' staff for their energy and commitment to delivering this project on time. He adds, "It's also been a real partnership between Student and University Affairs and Finance and Administration," and applauds members of the RFP committee for their hard work and dedication to the project.
De Shaun Autry, Chartwells' marketing director, also points to the university's commitment to going green as driving much of the revitalization of dining services. Autry emphasizes trayless dining, biomass products and locally grown produce as among the most exciting changes to the campus dining environment. Trayless dining saves energy and water - no more trays to wash and dry - and helps diners to waste less food. Biomass products are biodegradable, compostable food containers and utensils. Purchasing local produce from Connecticut farms helps the community while encouraging diners to make healthy food choices.
Heather Stearns, campus recycling coordinator, says, "Chartwells has done a fabulous job in trying to be more green in their initiatives." One important aspect, she says, is that the university is going to move to single-stream recycling, which means all recyclables will go into one container and then be separated out at the recycling plant.
"We may be the only institution in Connecticut that's single stream," Stearns says. "It's a pilot project now, only in Conn Hall, but if it looks like it's working there, we may move to this in the future."
