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10 biggest college dining stories of 2020

From coronavirus reopening plans to grab-and-go meal development, these were the 10 biggest stories in college dining for the year.

Becky Schilling, Group Content Director/Editor-in-chief

November 30, 2020

10 Slides
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In many cases, college dining programs spent 2020 attempting to determine what a college dining program was when students weren’t on campus—or the number of students on campus was severely limited.

Dining services programs at universities pride themselves on being a community builder and gathering point for campus. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, many were left trying to determine how exactly to do that while keeping students and employees safe.

2020 is a tale of two semesters—one before spring break and one after. When students left for spring break, many didn’t return again until the fall, if even then. Dining directors went into overdrive finding solutions for feeding students who couldn’t go home (in the spring) or those who were quarantined due to COVID exposure (from spring until current days).

Delivery options, including the introduction of delivery robots, were enacted or expanded on many college dining programs. And grab and go become to go-to meal option.

In the top 10 stories for college dining programs, you’ll see how chefs did menu development in a to-go world, while keeping up all the demands of college-aged diners.

We also learned about how colleges reopened, not just once but twice in the spring and also the fall. Here are the year’s biggest stories in college dining.

About the Author

Becky Schilling

Group Content Director/Editor-in-chief

Becky Schilling is Food Management’s editor-in-chief, and the group content director for Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group, managing editorial for digital, print and events for Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, Food Management and Supermarket News media brands. Becky holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Before joining Food Management in 2014, Becky was with FoodService Director magazine for seven years, the last two as editor-in-chief. Becky is a history nerd and a sports fanatic, especially college football—Gig'em Ags—and tennis. A born and raised Texan, Becky currently resides in New York City.

Becky Schilling’s areas of expertise include the onsite foodservice industry (K-12 schools, colleges and universities, healthcare and B&I), foodservice menus, operational best practices and innovation.

Becky Schilling is a frequent speaker at industry events including The Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF), The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) and The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM).

Becky Schilling’s experience:

Group Content Director, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Feb. 2020-present)

Editor-in-chief Food Management (Nov. 2014-present)

Director of Content Strategy & Optimization, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (March 2019-Feb. 2020)

Editor-in-chief, Supermarket News (April 2019-March 2019)

Executive Editor, Supermarket News (July 2016-April 2017)

Editor-in-chief, FoodService Director magazine (March 2013-Oct. 2014)

Managing Editor (FoodService Director magazine (March 2012-March 2013)

Associate Editor (FoodService Director magazine (Nov. 2007-March 2012)

Contact Becky Schilling at:

[email protected]

@bschilling_FM

https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-schilling-39194ba/

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