2014 College Power Players: UC Irvine

21. University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA

Students Living on Campus: 10,000
Dining Head: Jack McManus, director of Hospitality & Dining
Total Enrollment: 29,588
No. of Meal Plans Sold: 5,000
Annual Dining Program Revenues: $30 million
Cost Range of Mandatory Room and Board: $11,309 – $15,254/year
No. of Residential Dining Halls/Commons: 3
No. of Retail Outlets: 26
Management: Aramark
Website: www.food.uci.edu
Phone: (949) 824-1492

Program enhancements in the past year include new mandatory meal plan options like All-Access 7 Day, All-Access 5 Weekday and Block 100. Voluntary plan purchasers have several options based on lifestyles (daily commuter, grab ‘n go preference, etc.) and a payment plan option available on the four highest plans.

The school has begun a major renovation of its Mesa Court Dining Commons, which has been completely demolished. A brand new state-of-the art facility will be built at the bottom of a new residence hall structure projected to open in Fall 2016.

New locations opening in Fall 2014 include Au Bon Pain and the second Starbucks on campus. In addition to new facilities, UCI Hospitality & Dining participates in several sustainable best practices including transitioning of all locations on campus to be Zero Waste by 2020. All dining commons, Phoenix Food Court, Zot N Go and Concessions are all Zero Waste facilities and BC Cavern has already begun this process. Sustainable purchasing is another best practice, with 32% of all purchases coming from local or organic origins.

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