The addition of two instructional kitchens serving restaurants that are open to the public, as well as three other instructional kitchens, an amphitheater and a six-room hotel increased student enrollment, partnerships with local businesses and industry, and services for community members.

Six micro-restaurants expose Union South customers to preparation techniques for various cuisines and give staff an opportunity to run their own establishments.

Call for submissions recognizing commitments to sustainability. 

Before Renee Zonka was named as Dean of Kendall College, she had extensive experience as an off-premise caterer.

Pulling off a multimillion dollar renovation of a restaurant while it is still in operation is a feat in and of itself, but to accomplish this with no cooking equipment, only 50 seats to serve 5,000 customers daily and with only a 15 percent drop in sales seems unheard of.

The approach to practical, creative and flexible layout, as well as attention to energy-efficient equipment and recycled materials, earns this renovation of a 45-year-old dining hall recognition as FE&S' 2011 Facility Design Project of the Year.

Supported by a bakery and central commissary, this market-style dining concept features authentically themed micro-restaurants that contribute to the community-oriented environment created in this unique center.

There are situations in which inconvenience results in opportunity. Such is the case for Seattle's University of Washington.

The 6,200-square-foot commissary centralizes many operations (such as vegetable chopping, salad prep, deli meat and cheese slicing, preparation of soups and sauces) that take place in many campus foodservice units.

The bakery was relocated to C4C from an off-campus site. Some equipment was transferred, such as proofers and floor mixers. New equipment includes revolving rack ovens, scales, a spiral mixer, rounders and sheeters. The bakery produces nearly 80 percent of its output from scratch.

A kitchen equipped with state-of-the-art equipment allows students to experience the joys of fine dining food preparation. This design project also includes a deli kitchen and dining/banqueting area.

A division of Stanford University's Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE), Stanford Dining strives to be more than just a foodservice provider. Instead, food is promoted as a multidisciplinary educational experience.

The University of Oklahoma's dining program is popular with its students, and it's no wonder. There are more than 30 restaurants in 14 locations on or near campus.

College and university foodservice has undergone a major overhaul in recent years.

Is social networking valuable to campus dining? For today's high school and college students, social networking is a very important facet of everyday life. This instantaneous connection with friends new and old provides a lifeline of existence. But it can also have an impact on how labor is deployed and the operation's ability to drive some last-minute foot traffic.

Onsite Foodservice
Honorable Mention: Cleveland State University, Cleveland

Onsite Foodservice
First Place: Mt. Nittany, State College, Pa.

West Virginia University's five-year project brought its dated foodservice facilities into the 21st century

A marketplace-style dining concept in the renovated College Center building features cook-to-order and freshly prepared foods at stations that entice customers to interact with one another and dining staff more frequently than ever.

The renovation of this 45-year-old dining hall reaffirms CSU's commitment to sustainable practices through the use of new, energy-efficient equipment and recycled materials.

Several industry-leading consultants share their perspectives on operator trends and developments when it comes to planning for their facilities and purchasing foodservice equipment and supplies.

A glass-enclosed servery, two spacious commons and a display kitchen offer student-customers a dining experience unlike any other on this Houston campus.

A full array of equipment in the front and back of the house supports staff as they prepare menu items. The students they serve are encouraged to socialize and learn about food as they walk through the 14-station servery.

Merging function and form, this university's marketplace-style dining operations provide a front-line and back-of-the-house showcase for equipment and supplies.

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.