Students at many colleges and universities are enjoying their meals and snacks in newly renovated and refreshed environments, thanks to Aramark Collegiate Hospitality and their client partners.
“We strive to create hospitality moments that are memorable—and ensuring an engaging, welcoming environment is a big part of creating that experience,” said Karen Parker, Chief Marketing Officer, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. “On campuses where a refresh is needed, we work closely with clients, students, and design-and-build teams to create an environment that both excites and makes students feel at home.”
Here are just a few examples of major renovations and mini-makeovers taking place at campuses across the U.S.
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
A Place to Refuel and Relax
Planning the renovation of Fordham University’s Marketplace residential dining hall on the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, New York, started as early as 2013.
The planning has included client and student members of the Rose Hill Food Committee, which has met each year since the beginning to create a meaningful and impactful environment for years to come.
Everything from seating and design to food and brand offerings has been guided by the committee, design firm HLW, Tishman Construction, and members of the Ram Hospitality (Aramark Collegiate Hospitality) team.
The Muslim Student Association also advised on the creation of the Halal restaurant onsite, which has its own kitchen.
The new Marketplace, which opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony September 3rd, has stations offering halal, vegan/vegetarian (which also has its own kitchen), deli, grill, pizza, salads, and dessert options, as well as an allergen-friendly station.
The space can accommodate nearly 800 diners at a combination of booths, tall tables, long communal tables, and benches.
Because the Marketplace needed to close while renovations took place, student groups provided input on the creation of Destinations Dining, the yearlong Ram Hospitality dining solution.
GWYNEDD-MERCY UNIVERSITY
New and Improved
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality began dining operations at southeastern Pennsylvania’s Gwynedd-Mercy University in winter 2024—and the team has been going non-stop since then to provide students and staff with on-trend food and beverage options, along with fresh, welcoming spaces that include new equipment, new technology, and aesthetic enhancements.
The Griffin Dining team oversaw a complete rebuild and re-branding of the pizza station. The new Valley Pizza & Bread Co., which opened September 4th, features a new brick oven with new menu items, We Proudly Brew Starbucks products, a modern new look, and more seating for students.
The nearby Waldron Café offers multiple new food stations and there’s a new grab-and-go station in Maguire Hall this semester.
Griffin Dining also incorporated new automated foodservice solutions in Byte Coolers and Costa Coffee, installed new digital menu boards, added a designated gluten solutions area in residential dining, modernized the Starbucks, implemented a new micro-garden, and added new design elements to enhance several spaces.
GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY
A Gathering Place
The Dover Campus Center at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Green, NC, was transformed with extended and modern seating, including booths and outdoor patio dining; enhanced digital menu boards that display nutritional and dietary information; and an open kitchen at which Aramark Collegiate Hospitality chefs cook and serve meals.
The renovated space, called the Caf, opened for operations this past summer. A new brick oven pizza station serves pizza on freshly made dough and house-made sauce and a global kitchen station offers dishes inspired by cuisines of the world.
In August, the team held a grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting event with a DJ and other entertainment, games, giveaways, and, of course, food.
The luau-themed event featured island-inspired food such as Caribbean jerk chicken, coconut rice, Cuban sliders, tropical shrimp fried rice, Hawaiian cake with key lime “shooters,” and tropical smoothies.
Executive Chef Thomas Tessner and University President Dr. William M. Downs served smoked ribs and beef brisket sliders at an outdoor tent station. Chef Tessner also created a “palm tree” display made of tropical fruits.
“The Caf renovation and expansion project is a massive upgrade and a big win for our students and for the entire campus community,” said Dr. Downs, in a university publication. “It’s all new, bright, fresh, and inviting … a gathering place where we will break bread together and where we will make memories together.”
ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY
Creating Community
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality began operations at Massachusetts’ Assumption University in spring 2023—and helped unveil the newly renovated Taylor Dining Hall only a few months later during a ribbon-cutting ceremony open to students, families, faculty, and staff.
Students had a role in helping plan the new space with input from the Student Government Association.
“This dining hall is designed for community. It’s designed to bring us closer together, to give us more space together, and certainly to give us better food together,” said university President Greg Weiner at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Some new features of the space include new seating and dining areas; diverse cuisine options; dedicated vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and allergen-free areas; a lounge and game space; a cook-your-own food station; a hydroponic garden with micro greens and lettuces; and a new smoothie station.
Sustainability initiatives include a partnership with a composting company to minimize food waste. Plates, utensils, and cups in the retail dining locations are compostable and will be used in landscaping on campus.
In addition, through Aramark’s partnership with the World Resources Institute, Coolfood meals will offer healthy and delicious low-carbon food options.
LANDER UNIVERSITY
Flavor and Flow
Improved traffic flow. A brighter, welcoming environment. Easier access to outside dining with new sliding doors and outdoor furniture and shades. Modernized indoor seating and custom artwork. Individually branded “storefronts” that offer more variety and on-trend dining options.
That’s just a taste of what greeted students in August as they entered the newly renovated dining hall at Lander University in Greenwood, SC.
Located on the lower level of the Grier Student Center, the 19,300-square-foot space received its first major update in more than 15 years. Renovations began in May 2024.
The dining hall serves nearly 2,000 students, faculty, staff, and community members each weekday.
New restaurant stations include:
- Greens and Grains, a self-service salad bar;
- Under the Hood quick-order burgers and grilled items;
- Global Kitchen;
- True Balance, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s branded solution for safely addressing food allergens;
- Achieve Kitchen, a high-protein, high-energy station; and
- A breakfast bar that serves other items throughout the day.
The nearby Dawson Room was also updated with a pizza and pasta station, a deli station, and a dessert bar.
The renovation also includes The Drop, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s mobile platform that allows contactless, digital-only ordering and payment for pick-up or delivery.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Where Jaguars Roar
The dining hall at University of South Alabama has been updated with new furniture, flooring, lighting, and murals to bring out the Jaguar spirit.
The True Balance food allergen station received a total makeover that included a larger footprint and a new double-stacked combo oven.
New drop-in cold wells were added to the salad bar, hot and cold drop-ins were added to other food serving stations, and the pizza station now boasts an in-counter hot plate. Pull-down heat lamps have been replaced with sleek new Glo-Ray food warmers.
Upgraded menu signage, spotlights, and digital menu boards help entice and inform diners.
Mini-Makeovers and Re-Brands
Major renovations are one thing, but the Aramark Collegiate Hospitality team routinely refreshes spaces and brands to continue creating a culture of hospitality and creating community on campus. Here are just a few recent examples.
Pennsylvania’s East Stroudsburg University (ESU) underwent a front-of-house redesign of their Dansbury Commons dining hall. ESU colors and graphics have been highlighted throughout. Dansbury Commons is also the site of many student events and pop-ups to create excitement, including a make-your-own-s’mores station, a pumpkin decorating event, and a chip and dip pop-up. The POD mini-market inside Dansbury Commons was also rebranded as the Warrior Market.
Students at Mercer University in Georgia can now order from The Drop, a virtual kitchen and mobile ordering and delivery platform features restaurant concepts that can be rotated as students’ tastes change. The Drop is the first piece of a multi-year renovation to the Connell Student Center.
A new café and convenience store have been introduced this semester at University of Washington – Bothell as part of a multi-phase development project.
A newly expanded salad bar and sandwich station at Chicago’s North Park University are part of a newly re-branded residential dining space. New flooring, paint, and other elements were also added to a multi-purpose common area off the dining room.
