2014 College Power Players: North Carolina

24. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Students Living on Campus: 9,200
Dining Head: Scott Myers, director of food & vending services
Total Enrollment: 29,278
No. of Meal Plans Sold: 7,072
Annual Dining Program Revenues: $33.4 million
Cost Range of Residential Meal Plans: $1,269-$2,050/semester
No. of Residential Dining Halls/Commons: 2
No. of Retail Outlets: 22
Management: Aramark
Website: www.dining.unc.edu
Phone: (919) 962-0200

Meal plans at UNC are 100% voluntary, with seven residential and four commuter choices available. The two residential dining facilities are continuous serve during the week, with one open until midnight, while the retail mix encompasses both national (Chick-fil-A, Subway, Freshens, Einstein’s, Starbucks, Quiznos, Wendy’s) and local restaurant brands.

Sustainability has been a major point of emphasis, with 25.5% of food purchased from producers and distributors last year meeting the school’s standards for local, third-party certified and sustainably harvested product. Both residential dining halls feature Meatless Mondays when meat-containing options are reduced in favor of vegetarian/vegan offerings and the Lenoir food court, the school’s largest, includes a concept called 1.5.0 that serves a seasonal menu featuring locally grown food freshly prepared.

The menu at every meal period in the residential dining facilities always includes a lean protein option, a whole grain option, a complete protein at the vegetarian station, a gluten free entrée and sides, two vegetarian pizza options, one meatless soup option and one station highlighted as the Dietitian’s Pick that has one lean protein, one starch and two vegetables.

UNC Dining also caters more than 2,000 functions annually across campus and at the William & Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education.

Next: 25. Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
Previous: 23. Stony Brook University, The State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY