Each summer, collegiate foodservice departments all across the country scramble to hire enough student employees to staff the myriad positions set aside for them. Frequently, a large student staff can make the difference between a positive and a negative bottom line. Hiring enough student employees is the first step. Training, motivating, evaluating, involving, developing loyalty and promoting take a continuous cycle that correlates with the timing of each school year, that school foodservice professionals often have to repeat each semester or quarter.

An ongoing evolution in dining operations has been in effect on college and university campuses across the country for some time now. Gone are the days of mealtime cafeteria tray lines in institutional settings, serving three squares.