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Beyond the 50 Power Players: University of Oklahoma*

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

January 8, 2015

1 Min Read
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University of Oklahoma*
Norman, OK

Dining Head: Frank Henry, director of food services
Total Enrollment: 27,292
No. of Students Living on Campus: 6,525
No. of Meal Plans Sold: 4,965
Annual Dining Program Revenues: $32 million
Cost Range of Residential Meal Plans: $2052-$2340/semester
No. of Residential Dining Halls/Commons: 2
No. of Retail Outlets: 22
Management: self-operated
Website: www.ou.edu/content/housingandfood/dining.html
Phone: (405) 325-2511
* Data for Norman campus only.

The core of residential dining on the OU campus is Couch Restaurants, an FM Best Concept Award winner when it opened five years ago, featuring 14 unique restaurant concepts in an AYCTE format—including the country’s only AYCTE Chick-fil-A unit. There’s also a Chick-fil-A in the Memorial Union, where the largest concentration of retail dining options on campus also includes Quizno’s, Sbarro and Starbucks outlets. Cate Restaurants has Mexican (Taco Mayo), grill (Ruthie’s), all-day breakfast (Oliver’s) and sandwich/salad (O’Henry’s) concepts.

OU Dining is also among the leaders in the college market in incorporating online ordering into its array of services. Using the Tapingo platform, students can preorder and pay for food at nine campus retail outlets, including five in the Memorial Union.

About the Author

Mike Buzalka

Executive Features Editor, Food Management

Mike Buzalka is executive features editor for Food Management and contributing editor to Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News. On Food Management, Mike has lead responsibility for compiling the annual Top 50 Contract Management Companies as well as the K-12, College, Hospital and Senior Dining Power Players listings. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from John Carroll University. Before joining Food Management in 1998, he served as for eight years as assistant editor and then editor of Foodservice Distributor magazine. Mike’s personal interests range from local sports such as the Cleveland Indians and Browns to classic and modern literature, history and politics.

Mike Buzalka’s areas of expertise include operations, innovation and technology topics in onsite foodservice industry markets like K-12 Schools, Higher Education, Healthcare and Business & Industry.

Mike Buzalka’s experience:

Executive Features Editor, Food Management magazine (2010-present)

Contributing Editor, Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News (2016-present)

Associate Editor, Food Management magazine (1998-2010)

Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1997-1998)

Assistant Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1989-1997)

 

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