Designed by: Chrissi Lawton
Committed to and aligned with the goals of The University of South Florida A Preeminent University
This partnership review summarizes the actions in support of those goals and the associated measurable outcomes that align with those of USF
To promote the success of well-educated, highly skilled, and adaptable alums who, as lifelong learners, lead enriched lives, contribute to the democratic process, function as engaged community citizens, and thus thrive in a dynamic global market.
We are USF Dining, we are committed to creating moments to remember for our students, faculty, and guests with fresh, research-driven concepts, innovations, and program.
» USF Dining enhances the student educational experience and success by providing a best-in-class dining program with the highest quality of food and nutrition on all three USF campuses.
» Our team is dedicated to enhance experiential learning opportunities through student employment, scholarship opportunities.
» Leadership development is offered through our grown partnership with the MUMA School of Hospitality and Tourism and Aramark’s Accelerate to Leadership Program.
» Innovation is at the forefront of our planning as we continue to build upon a results and demand driven program that will continue to enrich the student experience.
» USF Dining understands that providing students with a safe, desirable, and experiential environment across campus will assist them in achieving academic and social success.
Although USF Dining serves an array of all generations and ages on a daily basis, our population is predominately made up of the generation of today and tomorrow; Generation Z and soon to be Generation Alpha.
» Born 1997-2010
» Prefer variety and customization
» Low pricing drives value
» Social media driven
» Born 2010-2024
» Technology is key, referred to as “Screenagers”
» AI factors into the educational experience
» Seek less strict, structured mealtimes; snacking is the norm
» 56% OF STUDENTS SAY DINING PROGRAMS AND AMENITIES WERE IMPORTANT IN DECIDING WHICH SCHOOL TO ATTEND.3
» 77% of USF students were satisfied with th campus dining program over the past three years.1
» 65% of Americans surveyed reported eating plant-based meat alternatives in the past year.2
» 32% of consumers say 21%-30% is the minimum discount for an item to be a good deal.2
» 77% of Gen Z agree that great taste is the top factor when deciding if a food item is a good value.2
» 59% of Gen Z believe the use of high-end ingredients determines if a food item is a luxury.2
» Gen Z is most likely to eat an indulgent food at least weekly (76%) and they are also most likely of all generations to indulge multiple times a day (14% do).2
» The top rated metric for USF Dining is a place to socialize, with 89% favorability for three consecutive years.1
» USF Students agree that the top rated metrics by importance for the dining program are cleanliness, food quality, and food variety.1
Sources
1. Aramark: 2021-2024 DiningStyles Report
2. 2024 DataEssentials Survey: Food Trends
3. Aramark: 2023 Higher Education Trends
» Open access improves overall satisfaction
» Technology integration is a must
» Digital payment solutions are expected
» Food infltion has increased 15% over the last two years
» Plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are mainstream with growing consumer acceptance
“The top-rated metric for USF Dining is a place to socialize, with 89% favorability for three consecutive years.”
- Aramark 2024 Dining Styles report
USF Dining introduced a new technology to USF’s Marshall Student Center in fall of 2023 called Quick Eats. Quick Eats is a fully autonomous convenience store, powered by AWM Technology, and part of the retail experience, allows a student, faculty, staff member, or guest to simply scan their phone to enter, grab whatever they want, and just walk out. No checkout. No hassle. The receipt is emailed to the guest a few minutes later. Most importantly, this autonomous shopping experience is integrated to the students’ campus card account so they can use Dining Dollars to make these purchases in as quick as 18 seconds.
The popular Tampa craft roaster Buddy Brew Coffee officially launched its ninthetail location on Aug. 21, 2023, on the ground floo of the new state-of-the-art Judy Genshaft Honors College. Bulls Blend, a proprietary Buddy Brew specialty coffee blend crafted exclusively for USF, is the café’s house blend for drip coffee. It is a thoughtful blend of single-origin specialty coffees ethically sourced from small farms in El Salvador and Ethiopia, as part of the craft roaster’s “Brew Good, Do Good” mission. Bulls Blend is bold, smooth and satisfying, with hints of dark chocolate, sweet cherries and toasted walnuts.
It will soon be offered in whole bean format on the café’s merchandise wall, which offers a rotating selection of whole bean coffees, coffee brewers, Buddy Brew apparel, co-branded USF/ Buddy Brew drinkware and more. The café offers Buddy Brew’s signature espresso and coffee drinks as well as teas, and a full breakfast and lunch menu, including house-baked cookies, croissants, avocado toast with poached eggs, and more.
In 2020, USF Dining was honored to add the St. Petersburg Campus to our portfolio. Since 2020, our team has successfully opened a new state-of-theart dining facility called The Nest, refreshed The Reef located in the University Student Center, partnered with local Bay Area vendors to provide their services to students, faculty and staff. With close to 1,000 meal plan holders today in 2024, the future of dining is bright in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Nest, opened in January, boasts variety in menu and service style. By Megan Rowe | February 12, 2021
The eight cleverly named stations satisfy a large cross-section of appetites:
• VegetaBull—plant-based
• @Home—comfort foods
• The Burg’er—grill
• DestiNations—weekly global menus
• 3rd Street Deli—sandwiches, wraps and paninis
• Central Garden—salad
• Pete’Za—customized pizzas
• True Balance—allergen-free
Its location near the campus/town border makes The Nest a natural draw for the local community. “We are welcoming the community to come in and dine with us,” says Jessica Cicalese, director of marketing for Aramark/USF dining services. The university website and a robust social media campaign are getting the word out.
Flexibility was a key factor in the design of The Nest, says Aramark/USF Dining Services Resident District Manager David DiSalvo. “There is an element of breathability,” he says. “When demand ramps back up, we want to be able to accommodate it, and when the demand is suppressed, we want it to feel appropriate.” The university has taken a cautious and rigorous approach to combating COVID, DiSalvo says, which has guided some of the design choices. Fortunately, the space was already set to have modular seating and easily reconfigured tables. In addition, a handwashing station was installed in a central location.
Burgers may rule, but interest in allergenconscious meals is high as well. At True Balance, a dietitian meets with students to help them put together meals that address their allergies or restrictions.
“When we originally introduced it on our Tampa campus, we thought it would serve the allergen-sensitive community, but it became one of our most popular stations,” DiSalvo says. “In St. Petersburg we’ve really been able to grow that footprint and program to be more aligned with anticipated demand.”
Digital signage will facilitate future menu pivots. It will also come in handy when the space is used for events or for themed menus and promotions. “We wanted to make sure that where we have a deli today, that can quickly shift into a build-your-own bowl concept,” DiSalvo says. A monitor at the tray station also displays the results of a program to weigh waste.
The University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg team is committed to celebrating the unique character and environment of their campus community.
To further support the campus community, the dining team recently introduced The Nest, the first full-service dining hall, at the beginning of the spring semester. Located on the ground floor of Osprey Suites, a new campus residential complex, The Nest functions as the primary dining location for the buildings residents and seats nearly 300 students (70 with COVID accommodations). The concept was developed using a student-centered approach, focusing on feedback through virtual and in-person channels. Understanding that students are seeking global flavors and food allergy considerations, the open kitchen offers eight themed food stations including True Balance, which features recipes free of the eight most common food allergens, and VegetaBULL, a dedicated vegan/vegetarian platform.
The University committed environment
To further support recently introduced the beginning floor of Osprey Nest functions residents and accommodations).
student-centered approach, focusing on feedback through students are seeking global flavors and food allergy considerations, stations including True Balance, which features recipes free VegetaBULL, a dedicated vegan/vegetarian platform. Planning for The Nest started pre-pandemic, but as operating campus safety and operational expectations into the design "breathability" to immersive student seating areas and flexible payment and menu options, allowing students to feel safe campus community. Looking to the future, The Nest is ready and visitors to come.
Planning for The Nest started pre-pandemic, but as operating realities came to light, the team incorporated campus safety and operational expectations into the design and opening preparations. The team brought “breathability” to immersive student seating areas and flexible dining stations as well as technology-enabled payment and menu options, allowing students to feel safe while promoting a strong connection to their campus community. Looking to the future, The Nest is ready to serve the USF St. Petersburg students, staff and visitors to come.
David DiSalvo, Resident District Manager, partook in interviewing many student and user groups to ensure The Nest design made sense, given the COVID reality. Jessica Cicalese, Director of Marketing for dining services, promoted the launch of the new dining hall through the university creating excitement for the new campus addition.
David DiSalvo, Resident District Manager, partook in interviewing many student and user groups to ensure The Nest design made sense, given the COVID reality. Jessica Cicalese, Director of Marketing for dining services, promoted the launch of the new dining hall through the university website and a robust social media campaign creating excitement for the new campus addition.
Juniper Dining experienced a complete refresh in fall 2021 equipped with digital menu boards, design elements, lightning, and new station concepts including focus on allergen solutions. Additionally, Juniper’s convenience store reopened as the Corner Market with the second Flip Kitchen on USF’s campus. Flip Kitchen opened with Grubhub Ultimate Kiosk Ordering technology and pick-up capabilities, resulting in a more efficient gut experience.
Inviting local restaurateurs to serve their dishes at locations managed by Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is a tried-and-true strategy for adding variety, authenticity, and fun. At the same time, it is a great opportunity for those restaurants to reach new diners and supplement their revenue. To that end, Aramark created a formal guest restaurant program called Local Restaurant Row to help connect restaurants— many of them minority-, women-, or veteranowned—with Aramark clients and customers at workplaces, hospitals, and college campuses across the United States. Local Restaurant Row fosters a more inclusive supply chain and gives guests easy access to some of the best local favorites in their community,” said Matthew Weiss, Vice President of Brand Management at Aramark. “Having local guest restaurants at our locations in Workplace Hospitality, Collegiate Hospitality, and Healthcare+ has been extremely popular with diners and our list of partner restaurants has grown immensely since the program began in 2019.
Dining expectations are changing. Guests and clients have heightened expectations for authentic local foods, variety, creative menus, and customization—all delivered in accordance with the highest food safety and quality standards. Our Local Restaurant Row program connects the USF community with local Bay Area restaurants. Since launching the concept in 2022 on campus, USF Dining has been awarded two National Best of Local Restaurant Awards for our partnership with LivyO’s and Naga Tea.
In 2022, USF Dining launched a touch-less selfcheckout system on the Tampa and St. Pete Campus. This advanced technology improves speed of service and ease for guests. Planning for the future our team looks to implement this frictionless checkout system to concessions at The Yuengling Center. By leveraging AIpowered computer vision, Mashgin’s system visually identifiesfood and beverage items from virtually any angle and instantly rings them up in a single transaction — with zero need for customers to look for and scan bar codes. Fans simply place goods and items on the Mashgin kiosk’s tray and complete the transaction using the digital payment of their choice. Selfcheckout transactions on Mashgin are as much as 400% faster than a typical cashier. Data collected from 12M+ Mashgin transactions also shows an increase in transaction throughput by 96% — resulting in more sales, revenue, and happier customers.
USF piloted on-campus dining delivery service in partnership with Grubhub and BYPPOCAMPUS in summer 2024. The studentrun delivery service was available to the USF Health neighborhood of the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. Student runners facilitated seamless deliveries from oncampus vendors including Chick-filA, Subway, Einstein’s Brothers Bagels, and Papa Johns. Expanded restaurants in scope of delivery as well as delivery areas on campus are planned for the future.
across the USF Tampa & St. Pete campus in 2023-2024
Dining events provide opportunities for students to stay connected and involved on campus.
» USF Dining partners with The USF Police Department for programming and events like Pops with the Cops and Cocoa with the PoPo. Therapy Dog Bailey joins along to add to the excitement.
» Rocky on the Road launched in fall 2023 for the firt day of classes. President Law and USF Dining leadership drove around handing out USF Dining Rocky Road Cookies and Hyppo Popsicles to students on their firt day.
» In partnership with USF Student Health Services, Dining launched Monthly Produce Stand Pop-ups in spring 2024. Once a month, students, faculty and staff can enjy the outdoors while purchasing fresh, local produce right on campus using Dining Dollars.
» The USF Marshall Student Center and USF Dining have made a Halloween Tradition in hosting the Annual Catering and Event Showcase every year on October 31st. Each year the team comes up with a spooky-fun theme to showcase what menu offerings and services our teams can provide on campus.
» USF Dining partnered with USFSP Career Services to host Nacho Average Resume in spring 2024 at The Nest Dining Hall. Students could customize and enjoy nachos while learning resume building tips from Career Services.
» Late Night Breakfast has become a tradition for all USF Campuses. University leadership switch with our Dining staff o serve pancakes, bacon and eggs to students as they prepare for final exams every year.
» USF Dining partners with USF World and USF Residential Education to host Juniper Nation and Nest Nations every year. The menu includes cuisines from 9 different nations around the world that students vote for. Guests can enjoy menus from around the world while learning facts from the corresponding nations and more about the USF Study Abroad Program.
» USF Dining participated in Family Fest 2024. In partnership with USF Auxiliary Services and Coca-Cola, attendees enjoyed free Coke Floats and giveaways!
» USF is the firt university in Florida to launch a custom beverage on campus – Rocky’s Refresher. It’s part of a pilot for the Coca-Cola Company’s custom freestyle program. The beverage, which is made up of Fanta Lime, Sprite and Minute Maid Limeade, is available at the Coca-Cola freestyle machines in the Marshall Student Center food court and BurgerFi on the USF Tampa campus.
» USF Dining hosted the USF Resident Assistants for a special Appreciation Dinner at The Hub Dining Hall in Spring 2024 for National RA Appreciation Day.
In spring of 2022, The University of South Florida’s MUMA College of Business teamed up with Aramark, to provide student fellowships and to give up to 130 USF hospitality students valuable paid on-the-job professional experience. The eight-year agreement with Aramark provides paid fellowships for graduate students in the USF hospitality program. The opportunity allows up to 10 fellowships each year. In addition, Aramark is directing part of the company’s annual
Regina Dukat successfully concluded the program in 2023 at USF. She completed rotations as a Residential food service manager, retail manager in the MSC Food Court and in marketing. Regina is now the current Marketing Coordinator for USF Dining with aspirations of growth in the field
B.S. from FIU in Hospitality Management
Received the Tampa Bay Hospitality Alliance Scholarship in 2021
Sponsorship Intern for the South Beach Food & Wine Festival 2020-2022
contribution to USF to the School of Hospitality and Management. The firt year of their partnership resulted in 100% job placement for the inaugural Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 classes.
Aramark’s proactive engagement with firt-year USF graduate hospitality students, providing practical experience and reinforcing classroom teaching with real-world application. The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management also can access the culinary and restaurant facilities across USF’s three campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee.
USF Dining is excited to be a part of the firt residential experience on the Sarasota-Manatee Campus for fall 2024. Meal plan holders can enjoy creative concepts including; FOODLAB, The Drop Virtual Kitchen, Quick Eats, and autonomous vending options from Just Baked. In addition, catering services will also be offered.
USF Dining is opening it’s second Chick-filA on campus fall 2024. The new Chick-filA will be opening its doors in the previous Pollo Tropical space located in Sessum’s Mall, bringing the brand’s signature blend of delicious food and top-notch customer service. The new Chick-fil A will offer the full menu including breakfast, longer hours of operation, more student job opportunities and catering services. The original location in Marshall Student Center will also remain open as it has proven to be the most popular retail dining concept on campus with record sales and growing traffi
Previously known as Rocky’s Hideaway, the space located in MUMA College of Business, is getting a new look and a new name, Rocky’s Hideaway.
USF Dining is creating an environment for students to “hideaway,” study, enjoy Boba, and a handcrafted sandwich or salad from the new Garden District that will be next to Naga Tea. The Garden District will feature artisanal sandwiches, soups, and customizable chopped salads. The space is going to be a place students want to be. Boba Tea has been a student request for several years. In the fall of 2023, USF Dining partnered with USF Alumni Naga Tea at Local Restaurant
Row in the Marshall Student Center. With raving reviews and notable sales, Naga Tea will become the firt Local Restaurant Row partner to have their own shop on USF’s campus this fall.
USF Dining will expand Grubhub Ultimate Kiosk technology into the Marshall Center Food Court fall 2024. Kiosks will be placed throughout the space and at each participating brand to help increase speed of service and decrease wait times and lines.
To conduct high-impact research and innovation to advance frontiers of knowledge, solve global problems, and improve lives.
2020/21
USFSP & The Nest Dining Hall
2022
Juniper Refresh, The Corner Market, Kahwa & Blenz
2023
Subway Refresh, 813 Quick Eats & Buddy Brew
In 2022 USF Dining partnered with WTW Architects to conduct a Demand Study. The goal of the study was to gather as much feedback and information from University leadership and the USF Community to support the Dining program in transformative changes that would benefit One USF and align with the trategic goals and Master Plans of the University of South Florida.
The demand study took place over the course of a year, concluding in spring of 2023.
R.O.C. is a new analytic tool/process designed to:
» Assist with retail strategy development
» Identify retail category GAPs/opportunities
» Enable optimal brand selection for our campuses
» And ultimately optimize overall retail sales performance
R.O.C. leverages cluster analysis to determine the retail configuation that will optimize a campus’ performance.
» Give direction on appropriate number of retail outlets
» Identifies a taget retail revenue for campus
» Category analysis further pinpoints where best growth (and consolidation) opportunities exist
R.O.C. output is intended to serve as a strategic road map for the future development and optimization of retail performance on campus.
High Performers Convenience Coffe Chicken
Foundational Sandwich / DeliBurger / GrillSalad / Healthy
Differentiators Asian MexicanEthnic / Authentic
Other Pizza / ItalianCasual / VariesSnack / Smoothie
Assessment
» Campus Context: Quality and Location Infrastructure
» Data Gatherings/Findings: Campus MP/ Strategic Initiatives
» Surveys and Demand: Quality, Convenience, Cost Satisfaction, Habits...
» Initial Insights: Target Market/Demand. Problematic Priorities
» External and Internal Influen es: On and Off-Campu
Goals of Demand Study
» Living Document to continually adapt with campus evolution
» Forward-thinking, innovation and strategic planning
» Short-, mid- and long-term goals
» Align with Campus Master Plans and Strategic Plan 2022-2027 ‘In Pursuit of Excellence’
» Pressure check/validate dining strategies
» Identity opportunities to ‘grow’
» Support USF students and student life
» Support One USF for all campuses
» Build campus community
Industry Overview
» Almost 5% CAGR sustained over past decade, making it the most popular category amongst LSR competitors.
» The category has more than doubled in sales volume during that same period, growing from $19B to $38B in 2021.
» Chicken’s popularity derives from the fact that its widely available, affordable and its neutral taste lends to a wide variety of flvor and texture adaptations.
Growth Drivers
» Brands featuring grilled and crispy chicken offerings from sandwiches to fingers hve seen the most significant gowth.
» Conversely, traditional bone-in brands have not seen similar growth.
VS +14.6%+0.8%
» Expectation is that consumers will continue to replace at least one meal per day with snacking occasionally.
» Prepared foods and healthier snacking options will lead the way for consumer choices.
» Beverages are accounting for a larger portion of consumer snacking needs as a healthier meal replacement option.
» Consumer views on snacking is broadening— any food at any time can be considered a snack.
» Younger consumers are driving between-meal snack consumption with “high in protein” and “energizing” being the most desirable attributes of healthy snack items.
2.8x
» The brands that are succeeding are delivering on quality perception, using better ingredients or more interesting builds.
» Still a somewhat fragmented category, local solutions lead the category in terms of offering flxibility in store cost / design.
» Quality is King! The brands that can make a quality claim (ingredients, recipes, etc.) Including Jersey Mike’s, Firehouse, McAlister’s have fared considerably better than the rest of the category over the past couple of years.
» Subs are super popular! Due to the ease of eating and portability, subs are the favorite sandwich form, as they make up 8 of the top 10 sandwich brands.
» USF Dining will be implementing a proprietary sandwich concept at Rocky’s Hideaway in fall 2024, featuring elevated sandwiches, wraps & paninis.
» Digital habits created during the pandemic will persist: Operators investing in omni-channel experiences are well-positioned for the future.
» Social media, ethnic and pop-culture spur interest in expanding palates: Influeners and global pop-culture sensations are driving broader food trends and the food culture.
» Food service is becoming an arm of the social experience: Greater emphasis is placed on atmosphere and ancillary offerings.
» Consumers are beginning to seek VALUE as buying habits shift: With infltion significantl impacting the food industry, brand loyalty will be tested.
» Employers are utilizing new strategies and technology to address labor challenges: Labor shortage has disproportionately hit food service and consumers are noticing it.
» Healthy, plant-based, global and spicy trends continue to rocket forward: Pandemic-fueled supply chain issues have forced innovation and the creation of new variations of existing menu staples.
165 Million Americans visit a convenience store everyday
Of consumers value convenience in their retail experience more today than they did in 2020.
Of consumers find the idea of balane between current traditional and fresh/healthy foods appealing at c-stores.
Of snackers aged 18-65 said they often eat a snack instead of having a meal at least once a week.
meal/snack sales
Representing 56% of total sales. C-Stores drive the highest percentage of retail snack purchase.
» Inspiration Phase:
• Assessment/Documentation of Dining Facilities/Space
• Review of Campus Master Plans
• Align with USF Strategic Plan 2022-2027
• Campus Site Visits
• Benchmarking
• Campus Visits/Mapping
• Work Sessions
» Inspiration Phase:
• Dining Transactions
• Work Sessions
• Campus Changes
• Findings
» Documentation Phase:
• Demand Study Maps and Narratives
• Recommendations
• Presentation
» Indoor athletic facility under construction
» Future football stadium/operations and Hall of Fame walk
» Anticipate closing Holly Street
» Modest increase for Greek Housing
» Juniper neighborhood expansion will displace parking. Chiller infrastructure will need to expand
» Marshall Center-need more ballroom and meeting space
» Wellness District envisioned near Champion Dining Hall
» Recreation center expansion envisioned
» Future Science building along Holly Drive
» Engineering-anticipate growing computer science
» Shriner’s Hospital now part of USF campus
3D CAMPUS VIEW: RESIDENTIAL DINING LOCATIONS
3D CAMPUS VIEW: RETAIL DINING LOCATIONS
» USF Health: Largest neighborhood footprint, Not as connected as other neighborhoods. Acquisition of Shriner’s Hospital – Fall 2022.
» South Residential: Home to 1,533 students.
» Science Engineering: Growing academic neighborhood.
» Arts/Admin./Student Services: Campus core. Student Union and bookstore.
» Northeast Residential: Home to 4,894 students.
» Athletics: Yuengling Center, sports training and other event spaces. New training center and indoor practice facility under construction. Future new stadium.
» Business Education: Academic neighborhood and Sessums Mall. New Honors College under construction.
» Research Park: New Research Building complete.
In spring of 2022 USF Dining embarked on a Meal Plan Optimization journey to improve and modernize meal plan offerings to the USF community. The new meal plan structure was implemented in fall 2023 to provide valuable options for all students by offering increased customization and a personalized approach to the selection process.
Higher education institutions are achieving three key benefit from Meal Plan Optimization on their campuses:
Right plans at the right price, creating a sense of community and contributing to retention and success.
Attract more of today’s diminishing student population and retain more of students they attract with the meal plans and programs that differentiate from peers.
Substantial improvement in revenue generation due to increase in sales, increased volume from attracting and retaining more students.
Products Offered
» When a VIP all access meal plan was offered, a minimum of 32% upgrade to that plan.
» Of the 18% unlimited products offered to students, 92% are unlimited 7-day plans vs 5-day unlimited option.
» Of the 25% weekly products offered to students, 58% are weekly 14.
» Unlimited and weekly plans account for over 65% of total sales.
» Trending data shows the purchase of unlimited meal plans is growing at a rate of 18-25% in the past three years.
» 45% of students with all access meal plans are more satisfied than those without all acess.
Value to meal plan holders has evolved over the past 5 years. Not only are college students today looking for convenience, quality, health and personalization, they are looking for opportunities to connect with others and want a dining experience. Entertainment is a term commonly used today to describe the new age of dining out that pairs eating with an activity.
USF is 30% above the national average of voluntary resident meal plan penetration and 1% below the average for voluntary commuters. The National percentage of voluntary meal plan penetration is 62% & 9% for voluntary commuters.
Over 69% of meal plan holders in the program have no obligation to purchase and choose to based on their dining experiences. USF’s voluntary meal plan participants significantl outperform national and regional averages.
» Recalibration of current meal plan structure to align with family and student feedback, for RHO residents at USFSP to have the option of a lower buy in than current offerings.
» Infuse innovation throughout the dining program with a focus on customization by introducing a Create Your Own Dining Dollar component to Bull Block plans.
» Introduce the VIB plan that gives a “Very Important Bull” the special treatment including more Dining Dollars, two meal exchanges per day, and access to exclusive events and deals.
» Optimize Retail Spend to contribute to retail spend based upon data of consumer purchasing throughout the academic year.
Free 1:1 Consultations with our Registered Dietitian
Unlimited Food at a Fixed Price for the Year
Skip long lines! Use your Dining Dollars for mobile orders on our Grubhub Kiosks & mobile app
Take your meals to go with our OZZI reusable box program
Take advantage of over 300 Dining Events every year
Access to local produce stands and farm to table experiences every month
Around-the-clock dining options available
Automatically enrolled in USF Dining Rewards
Over 35 locations across all 3 USF Campuses
USF Dining was selected to pilot the very firt loyalty program for Aramark Collegiate Hospitality in 2022. Based on feedback and focus groups conducted at USF, a revised USF Dining Rewards platform will launch in fall 2024 for all meal plan holders.
Goal of Loyalty
Drive customer affinity and engagemento increase meal plan retention and growth through meal plan value awareness.
Simplified pocess to upgrade meal plans through E-Commerce USFdining.com. Focus is on upgrades to receive upgraded status benefits with USF Dining ewards.
USF DINING REWARDS STATUS
USF DINING REWARDS STATUS USF DINING REWARDS DETAILS
» Continue to evolve campus dining program based on demand study findings and esults.
» Consider new autonomous and digital solutions that will appeal with the incoming generation including ghost kitchens and autonomous vending options.
» Launch USF Dining Rewards Program in Fall 2024 as pilot account in Aramark Collegiate Hospitality.
» Review meal plan structure to ensure offerings coincide with demand and operational efficiey during summer term.
To be a major social and economic engine creating robust global, national, and regional partnerships to build a prosperous and sustainable future for our regional communities and the state of Florida. Our campus ecosystem encompasses a network of students, faculty, guests, and the community we interact with daily. To cultivate a community, we continuously listen and engage with our constituents for improvement opportunities. We also know the importance of philanthropy, which is why it’s our mission to always give back to the communities we serve.
The University of South Florida community has been enjoying tastes of Tampa in the Marshall Student Center since Spring of 2022 when USF Dining introduced Local Restaurant Row as part of the 813 Eats local Grab and Go Market within the Food Court. Students want to support local businesses, and Local Restaurant Row is a perfect fit
Since opening, we have partnered with close to 30 local Tampa favorites for guests of USF to tryout and enjoy. These brands include Diggy Dogs, Jaiho Indian Cuisine, The Salty Donut, Jerk Hut, Bowls and Bunz, Wing Boys, Tanya and Matt’s, and LivyO’s Bourbon Street Café. The concept has been wildly successful and appreciated by the USF Community. So much so that we expanded the program to USF St. Petersburg in fall 2022. Local Restaurant Row at USFSP is located within The Reef at The University Student Center. Since USF Dining opened the concept at USF, two different local partners have received National Best of Local Restaurant Row Awards, LivyO’s and Naga Tea. On their opening day, Naga Tea, sold out and hit a record sales number at the Marshall Student Center LRR location. Boba tea has been a sought after concept from students at USF for some time. Since their wildly successful rotation, Naga Tea will become our firt LRR partner to open up their own storefront at Rocky’s Hideaway in fall 2024. The brand is Alumni created and owned, and will now be back at their Alma Mater to serve the Bulls their creations!
The Inspiration of 22nd Street Coffee Shop celebrates Tampa’s rich coffee heritage. The cigar industry, founded in Ybor City in the late 1800’s, brought many cultures to the area. Coffee became intertwined in the daily lives of the cigar factory workers. At 22nd Street you can experience true Ybor City culture and tradition our families grew up in. 22nd Street Coffee celebrates Tampa’s rich heritage with locally roasted blends delivered fresh the sooner you enjoy our beans after roasting, the richer the coffee will taste!
In partnership with
» USF Dining has established routine volunteer events with Feeding Tampa Bay. Last May the team bagged 14,000 pounds of potatoes to be donated to the Tampa Bay community. Food insecurity on our campus is often idealized to be impacted directly on campus, and our work toward that challenge can extend far beyond the campus boundaries.
» For Aramark Building Communities Day, we received an ABC Community Grant for $3500 to provide 7,000 meals for the Tampa Bay Community. For every $1, two meals can be provided. Additionally, USF Dining volunteered to load up the Feeding Tampa Bay food pantry in their warehouse and the mobile pantry. Family size boxes of perishable and nonperishable foods were compiled to be distributed to community members in need.
» Empower Hour - Influencing without ormal authority partnership with ERG Empower for Women’s History Month.
» Several of USF Dining team members give back by volunteering at Trinity Cafe, a full service restaurant that feeds the homeless and food insecure a three-course chef-prepared meal. Volunteer roles include waiting tables, bussing tables, and being a table host and talking to the guests.
» USF Dining continues to partner with USF Alumni Owned Brisk Coffee Roasters. In the fall of 2023, Brisk integrated their 22nd Street Coffee Brand into all residential units and Top of the Palms providing their locally crafted Ybor City brewed coffee to campus.
» With the opening of Buddy Brew in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, USF Dining partnered with the local Tampa Bay Coffee Roaster to launch the official Bulls Blen
» USF Dining has a strong partnership with the USF Police Department and collaborates on many different initiatives such as Campus Safety Day, Pops with the Cops, and Coco with the PoPo.
» In partnership with USF Athletics, we congratulated Herd Perks winner, Grant Hartman with $500 Dining Dollars on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. This annual donation initiative aims to promote student participation in attending games and special events that check into the USF Athletics app.
» USF Dining’s Athletic Dining Team continue to recruit new Non-Profit Oganizations to support sporting and entertainment events at The Yuengling Center.
» Approximately $200,000 is given back to non-profit oganizations and local community businesses annually from USF Dining.
» On Tuesday, February 6, 2024 the USF Preschool Creative Learning Center joined USF Dining for a tour of the Yuengling Center and Champion’s Choice to learn more about how food is made and prepared in machines. A total of 11 students and 3 teachers participated in fun interactive learning activities that included how popcorn and pizza are made.
» T he USF School of Hospitality and Tourism Management t eamed up with USF Dining Servic es t o hos t a student competition to address pressing food system issues and showcase solutions. USF Dining’s District Manager, David DiSalvo, participated in the judging for the F ood Sustainability Student Challenge on Friday, April 5th 2024. $9,000 in prizes were funded by Aramark and awarded to recipients for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
» In October 2023, USF Dining leadership built and donated over 400 healthy snack packs for each student at Edison Elementary to take home for the weekend.
» USF Dining partners with The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement each year for Constitution Day. Our marketing and culinary team creates a Constitution Day menu at Top of the Palms and features “C-named” desserts in the dining halls across campus.
» USF Dining proudly took part in The St. Pete Strong Youth Conference on Friday, June 21, 2024. Our team welcomed Pinellas County students and chaperones to The Nest where they received a tour, participated in a teambuilding activity, and sampled an assortment of cookies.
» Bulls for Kids is the largest student-led philanthropy at USF. Their goal is to help raise money and awareness for local Tampa children’s hospitals. In 2024, USF Dining donated over $3,000 in food and beverage during Dance Marathon.
» On October 24th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, USF Dining hosted a pink out lunch at The Nest Dining Hall to raise money for the Susan McGillicuddy Center for Breast Cancer at St. Anthony’s Hospital. Special Guests in attendance were our Regional Chancellor, Christian Hardigree, Rocky the Bull, and a representative from St Anthony’s. $200 was raised in the firt hour of the event.
» As part of USF Giving Week, USF Dining partnered with USF Foundations and The Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry for our annual Dining Dollar Donation initiative and food drive April 8th - April 12th, 2024. The program enabled students to contribute a predetermined amount of dining dollars towards students in need. Students donated 300 food products to the Feed-A-Bull program as a result of USF Giving Week donations. We presented the food donations to the pantry and contributed to their high-demand products to help stock the shelves for summer.
» Over 12,000 lbs of food has been donated to the Feed-A-Bull Pantry on the Tampa campus since 2017.
» USF Dining proudly supports the food pantry located in the Judy Genshaft Student Life Center on the USF St. Petersburg Campus. In May 2024, our team donated a refrigerator that will allow the Outreach and Support Center to provide perishable items in addition to the nonperishable food items they currently provide
» USF Dining has participated in USF Sarasota’s Brunch on the Bay event two consecutive years. Our talented catering team has provided a delectable spread of appetizers and bar sponsorship. In fall 2024, USF Dining looks forward to hosting the event in November 2024 on the USF Sarasota-Manatee as the firt year of the campus’ officialood and beverage provider.
» USF Dining’s C-store locations began featuring Popcorn For The People in support of Autism Awareness Month in spring 2024. The goal of the business is to combat the 80% unemployment rate in the autism community by training and
Aramark at University of South Florida provides a seamless approach when it comes to emergency and hurricane preparedness and response. The team’s dedication to safety is the utmost importance, in parallel with keeping the campus community nourished during uncertain times.
In September 2022, USF Dining began the planning for the impending Hurricane Ian, which touched down on the Gulf Shore as a Category 4 hurricane. As the storm approached, all dining operations were required to close, but students riding out the storm on campus needed to be fed. The team created a pick-up and to-go solution giving students the option to stock up on various sandwiches, breakfast foods, fruits, snacks, and water. More than 1100 students arrived to The Hub and Juniper Dining to pick up meals and to-go bags for themselves for waiting out the storm. Our catering team provided meals to the Faculty,
hiring neurodiverse individuals to help create, cook, package, and sell the gourmet popcorn. Bulls Xpress, Corner Market, Central Market and Concessions are all units where Popcorn For The People is available for sale on campus.
» USF Dining began marketing and promotional collaboration with Cross Bay Ferry in Spring on the USF St. Petersburg campus. Ferry operators have marked The Nest as a destination for sailors to eat upon their return, at which time they can show cashiers their ticket stub and receive discounted meals.
EOC and Campus Police team members that remained on campus throughout the storm. In addition, Hillsborough County activated The Yuengling Center as a special needs shelter. Our team prepared and distributed meals for the EMTs, Nurses, and patients.
In preparation for Hurricane Idalia in fall of 2023, USF Dining staff and leadership built an distributed over 4,000 shelter-in-place kits and water to students on campus. USF Catering ensured Emergency Management and University Leadership received food and beverage as they rode out the storm on campus. USF Dining made sure to post on social media frequently to inform parents and students of hours changes and service activations.
At Aramark, Employee Resource Groups (ERG) are voluntary, employee-led groups made up of individuals who come together based on common interests, backgrounds or demographic factors. Each ERG is open to all Aramark employees regardless of their background, and provides opportunities for networking, outreach, professional development, and more.
Several of USF Dining’s leadership members have joined ERGs. USF Dining’s Registered Dietitians, Karina Falcone and Jessica Cicalese are members of the Nourish ERG for nutrition professionals. Many of Dining’s women leaders have joined and actively participate in Aramark’s Empower ERG.
Rising Sun is dedicated to building an inclusive workplace for Indigenous peoples that reflect Aramark’s clients, customers and suppliers.
Our young professionals group was established to connect, engage, and empower young professionals and their allies.
LEAD empowers, develops and engages the Black talent at Aramark to create a more inclusive workplace.
Salute ERG supports Aramark in attracting, appreciating, and retaining Veteran talent and their families in order to cultivate a workforce capable of leaders and build a divers and inclusive workplace.
Amplify is dedicated to embracing the Pan-Asian culture and communities by fostering engagement and awareness
EMPOWER’s mission is to empower and grow diverse leadership among women that drives results by promoting development, networking, and mentoring.
Of our CEO’s direct reports are women
Of management consists of people of color 57% 22% 32% 46%
Membership growth in ERGs
Of management consists of women
Synergy is a place for people from all spiritual, religious and faith backgrounds who are seeking religious understanding and mutual respect.
Impacto’s mission is to provide meaningful contributions that build a multicultural workforce, an inclusive workplace, and serve as a valuable resource for Hispanic market insights.
The mission of Pride is to promote an inclusive, respectful, and diverse workplace environment that empowers LGBT+ employees and their allies.
Thrive’s mission is to advance awareness and inclusion for people with disabilities at Aramark, and to provide them and their support network with opportunities to be heard and supported.
Nourish provides a place for connection, communication and collaboration among Aramark nutrition professionals and the communities they engage with.
» Expand partnership with MUMA School of Hospitality and Tourism to host Brunch on the Bay and HospitaBull at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.
» Partner with USF Student Government on ways to market and communicate initiatives USF Dining has in place to support food insecure students.
» Grow local restaurant partnerships through Local Restaurant Row program.
» Launch Alumni Row concept featuring Bay Area Businesses owned by USF Bulls.
» Participate in Aramark’s Building Community Day in 2024 with Feeding Tampa Bay.
» Implement sustainability challenge winner’s innovations within USF Dining Halls to assist in tracking and decreasing food waste.
To provide a safe, inclusive, and vibrant community for learning, discovery, creative activities, and transformative experiences enabled through adaptive design of physical, social, and digital environments. Healthy student bodies require healthy and wholesome meals–which is why quality food and experiences are at the center of every aspect of our service. Aramark Collegiate Hospitality takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, crafting programs that address their physical and emotional wellbeing.
100%+ increase in people following podcasts, blogs, and Instagram as a source of food info.1
64% of consumers say that it is important to them to make sustainable choices that limit their impact on the environment.1
Health is all about the H’s: holistic and hydration. Carb counting and weight loss haven’t been central to the definition of healty eating for years, but it’s clearer than ever that consumers are now prioritizing other health aspects such as brain health, getting more sleep, and stressing less. We’ll also see how water bottle culture has hit a peak as consumers live out their hydration era.1
The motto “treat yourself” isn’t going anywhere. Consumers may be budget-conscious, but they’re still up for indulging in premium foods, beverages, and experiences. Some generations seek out premium experiences more regularly than others, and a majority of consumers say they indulge in a food-related treat at least weekly.1
“In 2024, exercise, hydration & mental health are even more important than before.”
- DataEssentials 2024
Gone are the days where consumers were only concerned with physical health or calorie counts: since the pandemic, consumers have had a more holistic view on health, taking into consideration diet, exercise, consumption of functional foods, and mental and emotional health.1
» 74% of consumers say food has an impact on mental and emotional wellbeing.1
» 68% of consumers want to exercise more and drink more water in 2024: a tie for the top health goal overall.1
» 40% of USF students have a food allergy or dietary requirement, with the most common allergy being dairy and vegetarian being the most common diet.2
» 72% of USF Students agree that one of the highest rated performance metrics of USF Dining are availability of ingredient/allergen information, availability of nutrition information and availability of special dietary options.2
» Among USF students with food allergies or special diets, 71% are satisfied with the ease o meeting their special dietary needs.2
A national campaign empowering millions to discover, choose and share the healthy foods that help them reach their potential.
More than ever before, relationships with food are anchored by the knowledge that what you eat directly impacts the energy and focus you need to achieve, succeed and thrive.
Today, motivation to live a healthier life goes far beyond clinical health. College students are stretching boundaries and learning that eating habits fuel short-term goals and longer-term well-being.
Feed Your Potential 365 is all about helping to power your healthy food discovery journey— enabling each of us to discover what healthy food, and other healthy lifestyle choices, can do to help everyone live their best life.
USF Dining is proud to have two full-time credentialed Registered Dietitians on the team to support with mean planning, consultations, meal plan navigation, and programming.
USF Dining’s RDN, Karina Falcone was named one of the 40 under 40 Food Safety Professionals for Alliance in 2023. Karina participates as a preceptor for the USF Dietetic Internship Program. Interns conduct their food service rotation with USF Dining and complete a number of responsibilities and assignments.
Aramark is proud of achieving our industry leading healthy menu commitments. Having delivered on our 2023 health impact goals, we look forward to continuing to build on our work the AHA to empower the health of our consumers, communities and employees.
The American Heart Association is deeply committed to developing innovation solutions with industry leaders to help all Americans live healthier lives. As part of this visionary collaboration, together with Aramark, we have developed new ways to improve the nation’s health.
Every month, USF Dining features a Produce of the Month to educate students on the health and wellness benefits of dierent fresh produce. Along with samplings and cooking demonstrations associated with this platform, USF Dining provides students, faculty and staff members tress produce every month. These fruit and vegetable stress toys have become quite the collectible commodity among the USF community!
True Balance is a station at The Hub Dining Hall and The Nest Dining Hall where our dining team prepares special selections from ingredients without most common food allergens. Here you’ll find delicious dishes made without th top 9 most common food allergens - egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, shellfish, sy, wheat, fish sesame - and gluten. Each employee must go through an extensive food allergy training with a Registered Dietitian in order to serve at a True Balance station.
All managers and supervisors must be AllerTrain certified
Delicious meals made for your specific needs
Our chefs prepare specialized options from ingredients without the most common food allergens.* See your manager for details.
Guests can plan their meals in advance by checking menus on our website at usfdining.com.
USF Dining has options for everyone, including vegan, vegetarian and eat well selections. Check out our health and wellness icons below to help you build a healthy and well balanced plate in one of our dining halls. We use these icons on our menu displays to help inform you of health & wellness recommended dishes we are serving. Look for these icons next time you visit the dining hall or when you check out our online menu at usfdining.com.
EAT WELL: Lower in calories, saturated fat and sodium AND at least one full serving of nutritionally dense ingredients like vegetables, lean protein, whole grains or fresh greens.
VEGAN: Contains no animal products of any kind.
VEGETARIAN: Contains no meat, fish or poultr.
PLANT FORWARD: A style of cooking & eating emphasizing healthy plants at the center of the plate. May contain a proportionally small quantity of animal protein.
COOL FOODS: Certified climte-friendly by the World Resources Institute. These items have a low impact on the climate, making them a delicious way to help the planet.
WHOLE GRAINS: This menu item has whole grains as one of the leading ingredients in the recipe.
MADE WITHOUT GLUTEN: Selections made with ingredients that do not contain gluten IMPORTANT: Foods prepared without gluten containing ingredients may not be ‘gluten-free’ since recipes are prepared in open kitchens where cross-contact is possible. Aramark relies on its manufacturers’ ingredient listings in determining whether an ingredient contains gluten.
Juniper Dining introduced American Halal Pita & Co. in spring of 2024. American Halal combines mouth-watering Mediterranean flvors, savory Middle Eastern spices and classic American style to create a delicious and healthy eating experience. Pita & Co. combines the best of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flvors with a classic American spin for an experience that can only be described as pure deliciousness!
When developing Halal recipes for the residential menu collection, the Aramark Culinary Development team worked closely with the Halal Advisory Council and utilized additional resources to establish the following criteria for Halal products and ingredients:
» No pork or pork by-products.
» No alcohol present, even if it has been cooked out.
» Only Halal-Certified met can be served.
» Meats are the only ingredients that must be certified Halal
» No gelatin can be used unless it is Halal (fish-based)
» All enzymes and additives cannot be derived from animals or alcohol (rennet, cysteine, flvorings).
USF Dining features a special menu and unique to-go options for students observing Ramadan.
1. Grab an order form and pencil from the table (please return the pencil to the table when you are done).
2. Select the ingredients for your made to order Mediterranean meal. Be sure to write your name at the top of the form!
3. Bring your completed form to the dining employee at the right side Pita & Co. station. Move to the left side of the station while your food is prepared.
4. The dining employee will call your name when your delicious, halal certified meal is ready!
USF Dining’s Culinarians and Dietitians partner with USF Athletics to host cooking demonstrations and team building cooking classes at Argos Exchange and Champion’s Choice. Additional cooking demonstrations are scheduled monthly in collaboration with Residential Education and The Center of Student Well-Being. These demos engage students and faculty in interactive discussion, activities, and samplings which encourage positive nutritional outcomes on and off campus
In spring 2024, USF Dining partnered with USF Student Health Services to host Monthly Produce Stands at the new Student Health and Wellness Center. Students and Faculty can use their Dining Dollars to purchase fresh, local fruits and vegetables right on campus. Each produce stand pop-up sold out before the end of the scheduled event time!
To focus on mental and physical well-being, USF Dining teamed up with Auxiliary Services and Campus Recreation to feature yoga on the lawn events for students during midterm and finals week. Dining featured tea, smoothies, and water during the events. Coca-Cola sponsored SmartWater yoga mats for students who attended.
As part of Aramark’s Feed Your Potential 365 Campaign, Take 15 is the new health and wellness program focusing on emotional well-being, with the goal of encouraging students to take 15 minutes away from studying or work to unwind and recover from stress. USF Dining hosts regular events that focus on Taking 15 such as Coco with the PoPo. Over 200 cups of hot chocolate were served along with destress time with K-9 Therapy Dog, Bailey. USF Police Department partners with USF Dining on various other events throughout the semester like Pops with the Cops, Cookies with the Cops and Campus Safety Day.
Additional destress initiatives throughout the year include: Pumpkin painting, cookie decorating, essential oil bracelet making, Cram Cart during finals, and araoke night.
» Engage our employees – ensure inclusion, engagement, growth, and safety for our people.
» Empower healthy consumers – empower millions to make healthier choices every day.
» Build local communities – build healthier communities and increase access to opportunities.
» Source ethically and inclusively – increase spend with diverse-owned, local, or small business enterprises.
» Source sustainably – source products that meet our standards for protection of people, animals, biodiversity, and the environment.
» Minimize food waste – reduce food waste by focusing on prevention, recovery, and recycling.
» Embed circularity –redesign operations with circularity in mind, reduce consumption of single-use plastics and other disposables, and expand opportunities to reuse, recycle, and compost.
» Operate efficiently –onserve water and energy, reduce fuel consumption.
» USF DIning’s Safety Assurance in Food and Environments (SAFE™) policy and management system guides our people to achieve our Target Zero vision: No harm to people or to the environment.
» SAFE conforms and aligns with internationally recognized ISO principles.
» All food service employees are required to follow specific tandards and procedures when handling food and to track important food safety information.
IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, OUR MENUS IN U.S. WORKPLACES, HOSPITALS, AND COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY DINING HALLS FEATURED APPROXIMATELY:
39% 35% 09% 17% 25%
OF MAIN DISHES OFFERED ARE VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, OR PLANT-FORWARD
OF MAIN DISHES OFFERED ARE VEGAN.
OF MAIN DISHES OFFERED ARE COOL FOOD MEALS.
OF MAIN DISHES AND SIDES OFFERED ARE EAT WELL, MEANING THEY CONTAIN A FULL SERVING OF NUTRITIONALLY DENSE WHOLE FOOD THAT ARE LOWER IN CALORIES, SATURATED FAT AND SODIUM.
OF MAIN DISHES AND SIDES OFFERED INCLUDE WHOLE GRAINS AS A LEADING INGREDIENT.
We ENABLE a healthy food environment by providing a broad selection of healthy food and beverages and by clearly communicating relevant nutritional information.
We ENCOURAGE interest in healthy choices through marketing programs. 1. 3. 4. 2.
We EDUCATE to support informed and empowered consumers by providing actionable, evidence-based nutrition, environmental, and wellness information.
We ENGAGE to build active participation in our wellness programs and to provide insights, ideas, and inspiration on digital and social media platforms.
At USF Dining, we are dedicated to fostering a positive influene on both our community and the environment. Aligned with the University of South Florida’s sustainability goals, we actively contribute to the promotion of a sustainable lifestyle by minimizing emissions, expanding our range of sustainable food options, and combating food waste.
Through our initiative, Be Well. Do Well., we are committed to diminishing our environmental footprint through the implementation of innovative and impactful programs. These initiatives not only nourish and diversify our student body’s culinary experience but also bolster our ecosystem, enriching and preserving it for future generations.
Our plant-forward selections emphasize healthy plant-based foods at the center of the plate such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes. We offer 450 plant-based recipes featured in dishes across campus.
USF Dining’s goal is to increase plant-based menu offerings to 44% by 2025 for residential locations.
“We offer 450 plantbased recipes featured in dishes across campus.”
In June 2022, Aramark became the firt contract food service provider in the U.S. to sign the Cool Food Pledge, committing to reduce the GHG emissions associated with the food the company serves in the U.S. by 25 percent by 2030.
Cool Food meals fit within ertain carbon and health parameters—and are assigned a Cool Food badge at points of service. Cool Food makes it easy for consumers to find dishes thy love and to participate in climate action at the same time.
Cool Foods are more “plant-forward,” in which vegetables, beans, and whole grains are more prominent on a plate while small amounts of meat are used almost as a garnish.
The easiest way to enjoy your next meal and help our planet.
Aramark was named on Newsweek’s Inaugural list of “America’s Greenest Companies”
USF Dining continues to concentrate on reducing single-use plastics through the elimination of plastic straws and bags from most of our retail locations.
In an effort to reduce waste, our disposable footprint, and negative environmental impacts, USF Dining launched the OZZI Reusable To-Go Program in 2021. OZZI containers are made with recycled materials and can take the place of 300 disposable containers. Meal plan holders are able to opt in to our OZZI Reusable To-Go container program for $5 at our dining halls.
OZZI’s 02GO reusable containers eliminate an estimated 25 million single-use disposable containers from landfills & oeans!
USF Dining is dedicated to strengthening our local community by prioritizing the sourcing of locally-grown, seasonal, and sustainably produced food whenever possible. Our leadership fosters partnerships with a variety of local suppliers, ensuring that our students have consistent access to fresh, wholesome meals at all of our residential dining locations. By promoting a sustainable local food system and economy, we not only provide nourishment to our students but also actively contribute to the overall well-being and resilience of our community.
In fall 2023, USF Dining launched Monthly Farm to Table Dinners for Open Access Meal Plan holders. This reservation-only dining experience features a locally sourced 5-course meal prepared by USF Dining’s Catering Executive Chef. 25 seats are filled on a fit-come-firt-serve basis through Eventbrite online reservation system. The meals are held at special locations across campus that pair with the theme of the meal. Once students are seated they are immersed in an educational and culinary adventure!
A result from the Muma College of Business Food Sustainability Student Challenge was to focus efforts on reducing food waste at USF. Technology waste tracking devices, anaerobic biodigestors, composting, and food donations were covered in student’s presentations. USF Dining will be working with the finalists towards implementing their proposals within the dining program.
At the University of South Florida, The Southeast Region Culinary Council and the local team partnered on a three-day culinary training and dining hall station takeover. The Southeast Culinary Council, led by Masa Yamashita, is comprised of a select group of Executive Chefs that serve as a functional team to assist operations in becoming the best they can be.
The group of culinarians offer support in sharing best practices, food photography, feedback, and answers to questions from all areas in the region. The culinary talent shines through in every dish prepared and prove that the futures are in fact better served.
The group participated in a series of sessions including detail on marketing and communications, nutrition, retention strategy, and operational excellence. Each member shared best practices and their food story—a 30-second vignette that each chef narrated to describe what their culinary focus is and how they will be integrating at their account for meal plan holders. From made-toorder smoothie stations, to cooking demonstration series, the ideation work sessions were productive and inspiring. On the second day of the workshop, the Culinary Council took over four stations at The Hub Dining Hall. A state-of-the-art facility on the USF Tampa campus. The Chefs introduced Cool Food menu options that students at South Florida
can expect to enjoy in Fall 2023 . The Menu creativity included: Plant forward Mediterranean Grain Bowls, Hot Drumsticks, featuring a locally crafted sauce, STARR Experience recipe Dirty Quesadilla, and the extremely popular Smash Burger with over 1,300 burgers being served! The takeover was conducted during the full lunch meal period. USF received over 40 WOWs through the VOC Platform and heightened engagement on social media from several chef and student interview reels.
This partnership was a wonderful opportunity to grow the momentum of the Culinary Council and satisfaction of students, faculty and staff members at the University of South Florida. The Southeast Region Culinary Council’s partnership with USF is the firt of many and will serve in the effort to promote every account’s food story and culinary innovation.
Our USF Dining Culinary leadership consists of three executive chefs and three chef managers that lead menu build and execution for our residential, catering and Athletic Dining teams. Our chefs have decades of culinary experience with Pro Chef II Certification from our Executive Chef, Kelly Marshall.
KELLY MARSHALL
RESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE CHEF USF TAMPA
ASBEL REYES CATERING EXECUTIVE CHEF USF TAMPA
DOUGLAS HUSENITZA EXECUTIVE CHEF USF ST. PETERSBURG
CARLOS LEIZON CHEF MANAGER ATHLETIC DINING
ANNETTE BENAVIDES CHEF MANAGER THE HUB
USF Dining Catering services can accommodate any size, theme, or individual request in virtually any on-campus location. Our team will work with you to create a custom gathering menu inspired by your unique needs that will leave a lasting impression on your guests. All menus follow our culinary philosophy; authentic recipes using the freshest, seasonal ingredients. Waiter service, carving stations, buffet, small plates, and international-inspired specialty stations: in your preferred style! And because you’ve entrusted your event to USF Dining Catering, the food will be unmatched, the service spectacular, and the event will be unforgettable!
From etiquette dinners, to premium entertainment catered functions, our team of culinary artists and event magicians do it all!
What started out as a “get well soon” initiative during the COVID-19 Pandemic, evolved into a beloved program by students, faculty, and parents at USF to date. Since Fall of 2020, USF Dining launched Treat-A-Bull for students in isolation. Relatives and friends could place an order for a custom USF care package from the Dining website at an inexpensive price. Word caught on through the social media grapevine and before our team knew it, we were producing hundreds of gift packages. We have sold close to 4,500 Treat-A-Bulls to date and are continuing to expand our off
Out of 118 applicants, 10 students were selected from various campuses across the country in different university segments. The goal is to pass ideas for new innovations from the Board for feedback, have an ongoing connection with a group of student leaders to gain insights, and strengthen client partnerships by providing development opportunities for students. USF has had two students chosen two consecutive years, 2022 and 2023.
Top 5 Dining Social Media
Accounts in Aramark’s Collegiate Hospitality Southeast Region
USF Dining is a top performer in Collegiate Hospitality social media. In spring of 2024, USF Dining’s Instagram reached 10,000 followers and continues to broaden their network. 1. 3. 2. 4. 5.
USF Dining was a pilot account for Aramark’s new virtual assistant, SAM. When enabled, Virtual Assistant, Sam (Send A Message), is available to immediately assist guests on web and social.
» 60% of millennials say they have used chatbots.
» 70% say they had a positive experience when using a chatbot.
» Virtual customer assistants help organizations reduce call, chat, and email inquiries by 70%.
Sam is recommended for use at accounts that use CampusDish as their web platform. In addition to use on CampusDish, Sam can optionally be used through Facebook.
USF Dining has been selected to pilot the Dine & Tell pilot with ProTexting in fall 2024. Through this program, USF Dining will be able to communicate important messages and promotions to meal plan holders.
Open and read within 3 minutes
More opens than email
ROI after SMS Campaign
» Expand Kosher offerings and programming in alignment with the University demand.
» Introduce Eat to Excel within the Dining Halls. Eat to Excel is a dietary performance program designed for all student-athletes. Giving student athletes access to the balanced nutrition information they need to support peak performance.
» Partner with FDACS Fresh From Florida to market and promote awareness of local menu items students have access to on campus.
» Become authorized as a SNAP EBT retailer, allowing students to use their EBT funds in USF Dining convenience stores on campus.
» Enhance USF Dining’s reusable to-go program with Topanga software and technology. This program will extend the use of reusable containers into retail dining on campus.
» In partnership with USF Student Health Services, Dining will increase scope of Produce Stand to St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee Campuses.
» USF Dining will participate in the annual Dining Styles Survey for all three campuses in fall 2024.
» We will launch our Smoothie Bike fall 2024, a perfect pairing of exercise and nutrition that will increase participation at health and wellness events.
To practice continuous visionary planning and sound stewardship throughout USF to ensure a strong and sustainable financial base and adapt proactively to emerging opportunities in a dynamic environment.
As a cornerstone of our commitment and partnership, USF Dining provides leading edge technology that both meets guests where they are, in an efficient, high-customizable, adaptable way. We never pass the full infltionary pressure to our guests in pricing, led by our commitment to innovation and efficiey. The current regulatory environment highlights our unrelenting need to innovate and flx to meet our guest’s needs—including customization, convenience, and value. We have invested and tailored our service model to support an everchanging demand environment.
The strategy toward next year’s dining program is to continue to leverage the learnings from the past several years to offer significant alue for our community. The meal plan and dining program places the USF community at the center of our strategy. As customer trends change, USF dining will bring insights to action to remain at the leading edge of the demand curve. Our partnership at USF enables student success and enriches the student experience.
» Over 69% of meal plan holders in the program have no obligation to purchase and choose to based on their dining experiences.
» USF’s voluntary meal plan participants significantly outperorm national and regional averages.
» A great place to socialize with 90% favorability.
» Convenience of Program.
» Welcoming and Friendly Staff.
» Availability of healthy options.
» Top social media following and engagement in the region.
» Students gave USF Dining an 81% in Overall Satisfaction via the Voice of the Consumer Survey for 2023 and 89% so far in 2024.
Source: Dining Styles 2024
In Spring of 2023, USF Dining utilized Meal Plan Optimization to better meet the needs of demand and student satisfaction.
Our continuous goal as USF’s dining partner is to attract and retain students on meal plans and dining at on-campus locations. It is our mission to create a hospitable environment and offer a meal plan that fits veryone’s lifestyle. If a student gets on the right meal plan and has a great dining experience, they are more likely to be satisfied Overall, offering the right kind of meal plans generate revenue and increase sales. USF Dining is proud to promote that we have more upperclassmen on meal plans than firt time in college students, that continue to purchase a meal plan even though it is not required.
Participating in New Student Orientation at USF is a successful way to educate incoming Bulls on our dining program and meal plan options. We have a long-standing partnership with the Office of Orientation that is a crucial part of our meal plan sales opportunity.
Every spring and summer USF Dining:
» Hosts Orientation Leader Training and lunch with Dining before every Orientation season begins.
» Table in the morning at Orientation Check-in with USF Housing & Residential Education.
» Have the privilege of conducting a 25-minute Housing and Dining presentation to every parent and guest.
» Provides lunch for all firt year and student guests at every Orientation session.
» Participates in the Resource Tabling Fair for meal plan sales opportunity and to answer dining questions.
In spring of 2024, USF Dining partnered with USF Campus Visitation Experience to collaborate on Open House programming. Each Open House attendee receives a BOGO coupon to enjoy lunch at The Hub Dining Hall on the Tampa Campus. In addition, USF Dining provides tabling information on meal plans and the dining program at CheckIn and during lunch.
Starting fall 2024, USF Dining is partnering with Admissions and Campus Visitation Experience for all USF Campus Tours. USF Dining’s Dining Hall and retail locations will be featured stops during each prospective student and parent tour route. Our team will be providing dining information, a discount to enjoy a meal at The Hub Dining Hall and fresh basked cookies and refreshments for tour members.
The “Day In The Life” Campaign originated during a conversation with USF students regarding meal plan options and variety. The feedback received was, “what if students could realize EVERYTHING they can do and get with a meal plan every day.” Thinking through what a perfect ideal day in the life of a meal plan holder at USF could look like sparked the creation of the popular campaign that would be featured nationally by Aramark for all Collegiate Hospitality accounts.
A drafted video was created by a USF Alumniowned videography company, which took around 6 hours to shoot. We also shot at both of our USF campus locations, Tampa and St. Pete. Once the video was complete, our Graphic Designer took these idealistic days and made infographics that could be displayed to promote the campaign. This a great strategy to promote on-campus living but also show students, the value of a meal plan, at any level and even if you live off campus
Grubhub has been one of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s top digital ordering partners since Tapingo’s inception in 2015, and then since Grubhub’s acquisition of Tapingo in 2019. Since then, Grubhub has released its all-in-one product set, Grubhub Ultimate, which allows any retail location to become a full Grubhub shop, streamlining back office functions such as running reports, menu management, and order management. USF Dining was the firt university within Aramark’s Collegiate Hospitality portfolio to launch Grubhub Ultimate at Argos Exchange in 2018. Since then, USF Dining has introduced Grubhub Ultimate at on-campus brands such as Chick-filA, Bento Sushi in 2019.
As an evolution and adaptation of a successful program at Argos and Chick-Fil-A, our team decided to expand this guest and student friendly enhancement in the Food Court for fall 2024, producing and expected savings of $106,000.
Peer-to-Peer selling is a proven tactic that focuses on hiring and training students to sell Meal Plans to their peers. USF Dining Ambassadors are deployed throughout the year to assist with a number of Meal Plan sales activities, including, tabling events, student orientations, move-in week, off-campu apartment sales, programming, and social media influencing. he primary purpose of this team is to sell meal plans and create advocacy for the dining program.
As the program has evolved, many student Dining Ambassadors have expressed their continued interests to specific aeas within marketing. Social media is one of the most sought after areas within marketing. With permission, we feature our very own Dining Ambassadors in our marketing ads and campaigns for Dining. When students see their peers eating with USF Dining they will want to as well. Creating FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is a marketing job well done!
Focus on ways to increase engagement and attract new and current meal plan holders to everything dining via our various social media platforms.
Brainstorm event ideas and executing them by setting up, working the event, and breaking down.
Focus on signage updates, accuracy of USF Dining material and audits.
Requires extensive knowledge on USF Dining Meal Plans, Rewards and all necessary information
USF Dining has proven success by offering incentives for signing up for a Meal Plan. Incentives are particularly effective during Early Meal Plan Sign Up (EMPSU) at the end of the academic year, during Orientation, or to reduce attrition between fall and spring semesters. Incentives may include bonus Dining Dollars, free retail meals, promotional items, gaining different levels of reward status, coupon books, and more!
at www.usfdining.com
With more than 150 top-ranked master’s and doctoral degree programs, an impressive research enterprise and an amazing location, USF offers an ideal environment that supports continuing education. USF Dining supports graduate student nutrition, allowing students to focus on their continued studies while we focus on the food. Graduate Meal Plans are competitively priced and never expire!
Faculty and Staff adance communities and transform lives everyday at The University of South Florida. It a large population on the three USF Campuses. From catering services to meal plans ,our goal is to support our educators and administrators with excellent experiences and great on-campus hospitality. We offer regular promotions, such as refer a friend, and bonus meal swipes and Dining Dollar reload campaigns throughout the year. Currently, we have over 800 faculty and staff meal plans and gowing!
Dollars Never Expire Enjoy Lunch with Coworkers Take Your Meals To-Go Unlimited Consultations with a Registered Dietitian
In fall 2023, USF Dining has partnered with PayPal to offer installment payment options for Faculty and Staff meal plans. The goal of this partnership is to make meal plan purchases more accessible by spreading the cost over multiple payments instead of one upfront payment.
for your Faculty & Staff Meal Plan in installments through PayPal or Payroll Deduction!
Sign up at usfdining.com and select the payment option of your choice
In fall of 2021, USF Dining partnered with USF Athletics to activate Champion’s Choice as a partial Training Table for Student Athletes. Expanded menu options, fueling stations, and meal plan selection requirements make up the training table package. As the program grew in popularity, USF Dining implemented a “Plus” feature that could be added on to any meal plan for students. This feature provides access to lunch at Champion’s Choice. USF Athletics collaborated with the Athletic Dining team begin Tuesday Night Team Dinners. Every Tuesday student athletes along with their coaches, come to Champion’s Choice to enjoy a themed meal experience and a night of team building. Our team is proud to fuel the USF Bulls every day!
Grubhub has been one of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s top digital ordering partners since Tapingo’s inception in 2015, and then since Grubhub’s acquisition of Tapingo in 2019. Since then, Grubhub has released its all-in-one product set, Grubhub Ultimate, which allows any retail location to become a full Grubhub shop, streamlining back office functions such as running reports, menu management, and order management. USF Dining was the firt university within Aramark’s Collegiate Hospitality portfolio to launch Grubhub Ultimate at Argos Exchange in 2018. Since then, USF Dining has introduced Grubhub Ultimate at on-campus brands such as Chick-filA, Bento Sushi in 2019.
As an evolution and adaptation of a successful program at Argos and Chick-filA, our team decided to expand this guest and student friendly enhancement in the Food Court for fall 2024, producing and expected savings of $106,000.
A fully integrated ordering and operating system
In today’s operating environment, the need to innovate and flx to meet our guest’s needsincluding customization, convenience, and value is more crucial than ever. We continue to invest and tailor our service model to support.
Digitizing Employee Training • Optimizing operations by digitizing trainings for new hires and reoccurring certifictions savings estimated $74,000. In additional to digital training, we do offer weekly orientations for new hires hosted by our HR team and various team specialists.
Integration of Point-of-Sale data (demand) overlaid with employee time clock data to ensure we have the right amount of people, at the right place, at the right time, illustrated by the chart below. This is a continuous an ongoing exercise to optimize our scheduling each semester. Savings of $34,000 in the past semester because of this technology.
Service Excellence supports Aramark’s vision of being the most admired employer and trusted hospitality partner. Because our legacy is rooted in service, USF Dining is entrusted to create experiences that surprise and delight every guest. First impressions matter and how we greet our guests sets the tone for their entire experience. Even when business levels are busy, it’s imperative that we acknowledge and greet every guest.
USF continues to be a premier account and has the privilege of hosting regional and national meetings. In 2023 and 2024, USF Dining hosted Aramark Foundations. A training that provides the fundamentals of Aramark and Operations to rising leaders in the company. Aramark’s Line of Business President for Collegiate Hospitality was a featured speaker during the spring 2024 Foundations Training that took place in the Marshall Student Center.
Enhance institutional infrastructure and operational excellence
» Argos Redevelopment Project
• Expected 1,000 new residents by 2027.
• Projection of +600 new FTIC meal plans
• Argos re-build to include “Eatertainment”/ Food Hall concept
» On-Campus Stadium
• Include a demonstration kit chen for sports performance – Eat to Excel Program would be launched in residential dining locations and training table.
• Hire a Nutrition Chef with RD Credentials f or the new stadium
• Alumni Game day benefits and Alumni Mea Plan Creation
• Pre- and Post-Game Tailgates
• VIP Concessions Packages
• Partner with Coca-C ola to upgrade the student lounge experience
• Connect on campus r ewards program to the stadium and concessions specials
» Multi-Use Golf Course Redevelopment
» Collaborat e with project team on the potential of new campus hub for entertainment and dining.
At Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, we know the power of excellent service. As an industry leader with over 50 years of experience, we witness firthand the continual evolution of the higher education landscape as standards and expectations are raised by the day. Which is why we seek to take our service a step further with each and every unique experience we craft. We’re not simply serving quality food on a plate, we’re serving worlds brought together. We’re not just setting tables, we’re sparking dialogues. We’re not just partners, we’re ingrained in your unique identity and vision—with you every step of the way to create the best, most inspiring campus experience imaginable so you can stand out in the crowded higher education landscape.
Because when you set your sights and standards higher, you’re serving more than just good meals. You’re serving futures.
Our vision is to be the most admired employer and trusted hospitality partner.
Because we’re rooted in service, we do great things for our people, our partners, our communities and our planet.
We do everything with integrity. We deliver on our commitments. We respect diversity and appreciate differences. We’re passionate about everything we do.
» Aramark is a leading global provider of food and facilities services
» Operations span education, healthcare, business and industry, sports and entertainment, leisure, and corrections .
» Food and beverage services include ordering, receiving, preparing, serving, hiring, training, and supervising food service personnel.
» Facilities management services include cleaning services, operations and maintenance, energy management, grounds and landscaping, and other support services.
MANAGE
1 BILLION GROSS SQUARE FEET OF CLIENT FACILITIES
2 BILLION MEALS EACH YEAR
RESOURCE GROUPS
