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Chartwells at Texas Woman’s University debuts new resident-focused Pioneer Kitchen dining hall

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

November 25, 2019

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The new 26,000-square-foot Pioneer Kitchen features eight food platforms offering interactive meal prep.Michael Modecki/Texas Woman’s University

Welcoming its largest ever freshman class, Texas Woman’s University (TWU) and dining services provider Chartwells Higher Education introduced a brand-new resident-focused dining hall, Pioneer Kitchen, last month. The venue features eight interactive food platforms (a ninth is scheduled to be added soon), including a gluten/allergen-free station, a full in-house bakery, a Mongolian grill, a create-your-own pasta station, a soft serve ice cream machine, a teaching kitchen and a meal kit pickup program for apartment dwellers through Chartwells’ FED app.

“Health and well-being are the pillars around which we built it,” says Diane Jackson, senior director of dining services. “From being a retail campus, we have now [transitioned] to a board campus.”

She notes that the meal plan program currently has 81% participation among students, with a total of more than 2,000 on meal plans, which is about 300 more than last year.

Pioneer Kitchen replaces an older, smaller residential dining venue called the Underground, which now will serve as a catering outlet.

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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