Have you ever watched a college student eat and wonder where they put it all? Students’ new-found freedom away from their parents doesn’t only mean they experiment with alcohol and blowing off classes. It also means they are free from their parents’ kitchens, and they start deciding for themselves when, what, and how much they will eat. Are you prepared to serve these young appetites, or will your kitchen flounder in its attempt to keep up?


The client-liaison in higher education has a host of responsibilities that are not all related to foodservice. This means that the service provider steps in to run the show while the client-liaison concerns himself with the school’s other more immediate concerns, such as housing, maintenance, security, parking, or many other potential responsibilities. But imagine if the foodservice to your students was only half of what it could be. Imagine you were only getting some, not all, of what your employer’s dollar is worth – or the dollars of the parents who pay for their children to eat. Or worse, imagine the students being negatively impacted by the condition of the foodservice you contracted out, perhaps even to the extent of tainting the image of the institution your foodservice represents.

Fortunately, a strong relationship with your service provider should help ensure that you’re not wasting your money or the students’ stomach space. However, not every client-liaison shares such a dynamic relationship and could benefit from some advice as much as a college kid could use a shower and good night’s sleep. Despite your busy schedule, it is highly important that you take some of the following ideas into consideration.

1. Consider adopting improvements for your menu – Ever notice how everyone in public seems to want something different? Some prefer fast food – it tastes great and costs little. Others favor organic diets. Some are inclined toward exotic foreign foods while yet still others lean towards expensive, fine dining. College kids are not that different from the public, each with his or her own preferences. And the larger your institution, the more variety of tastes you are responsible for satisfying. How can you possibly satisfy everybody?

Well, your goal shouldn’t be to satiate every person’s palette as much as to add a degree of variety to the standard menu. Many people enjoy comfort foods, but even the most devout taste buds rebel after too much of this. Although “fast and easy” might be the traditional approach to service and to eating, consider incorporating these other components into your standard college meal plan:

Regional/International Cuisine – without breaking the bank, see what popular menu items you can add that feature American regional foods (like southern, Cajun, barbeque, New York, California, and so on), or what menu items from across the oceans might make a splash (like Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Greek, or German).


Health Food Choices – Sure, college kids might cringe when they waste valuable stomach space on a salad instead of a piece of cake, but in their heart they know more tomatoes and less sweets makes a body healthy. Try getting creative and interactive: partner with local health clubs and promote corresponding exercise schedules. Making healthy eating a part of a larger life routine will encourage students to veer in this direction.

Sustainable Food – Another buzzword in today’s menu arena is “sustainable,” meaning finding local, organic food sources that give back to the community at the same time they’re making students nutritious. Work with your service provider to calculate how you might take advantage of the fresh, local options your community may offer.

Fortunately, varying menu options does not mean costing more money. When thoughtfully organized and promoted menus provide students with appealing variety, everybody’s middle line will smile without breaking your bottom line.


2. Conduct surveys – You might remember being a kid and making lots of noise when fighting with your siblings – but when your parents asked what was going on, you always said, “Nothing! Everything is fine!” Consider for a moment that the same happens with your service provider. Your service provider may tell you that everything is operating smoothly and everyone is happy. While this might be the case, you should remember that it’s to your service provider’s advantage to tell you this. But how do you really know?


Take the best care of your visitors by directly asking them what they think of your foodservice. Work with your service provider to form a focus group, create a fresh and specific survey, and compile feedback from students. The more honest feedback you can acquire directly from students themselves ensures that you are getting the most accurate advice while avoiding falsely positive reports from your provider.



3. Open the cafeteria at non-traditional service times – In the real world, people’s clocks tend to revolve around the standard meals at morning, noon, and night. But haven’t you noticed yet that college is not at all like the real world? And while students are living in their enchanted land, their stomachs are too. Cater to your clientele’s unique preferences by having your service provider open at non-traditional times, such as late nights on Fridays and Saturdays after students return home from fraternizing.


4. Discover and imitate others' successes– Ever wonder what other schools are doing? It’s common that each school, if they remained isolated, would eventually do the same job over and over again without being exposed to the full range of possibilities available in foodservice. Consider doing some light traveling and visit other local institutions to share ideas. Or you can check them out electronically by joining NACUFs – the National Association of College and University Foodservice. Yes, there is such a thing, and you should join immediately! Check out this opportunity to forge unique relationships at www.nacufs.org.

5. Create a themed calendar that features special meals and events– Countless opportunities exist for tying unique foods into everyday occasions. Plus, giving students special meals to look forward to insures that more will come and enjoy the energy you put into contriving these magnificent events. Consider making each month a theme based on different countries, featuring food, decorations, games, and fun all associated with those regions. Or if you’re not a fan of countries, then connect food to history, literature, religion, celebrations, or just plain fun. Whatever special event you plan, be sure that every student has a calendar and every student eagerly anticipates the next special event your cafeteria will host!

In no time at all your students’ and faculty’s stomachs will be thanking you, and perhaps even the academic performance and overall morale of the school miraculously improves. All thanks to your efforts to improving the health, happiness, and efficiency of your institution’s foodservice.

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