College Power Players: Binghamtom

40. Binghamton University, the State University of New York, Binghamton, NY

Dining Head: Jim Ruoff, general manager
Total Enrollment: 16,077
Students Living on Campus: 7,700
No. of Meal Plans Sold: 8,376
Annual Dining Program Revenues: $28 million
Cost Range of Residential Meal Plans: $1,850-$2,554/semester
No. of Residential Dining Halls/Commons: 4
No. of Retail Outlets: 23
Management: Sodexo
Website: binghamton.sodexomyway.com
Phone: (607) 777-2991

The highlight of campus dining at Binghamton is the new 12-station Marketplace, which replaced an older food court in the student union complex at the beginning of this year. Its concept mix includes Red Mango, Cafe Spice (Indian fast casual), The Diner (diner style menu including burgers made from locally raised grass-fed beef) and Union Café with a We Proudly Serve Starbucks menu that is open 24 hours Monday through Thursday.

One notable feature of the new Marketplace is the Coca-Cola Freestyle refillable cup program, which uses an RFID chip embedded in the cup to track and monitor refills. Students are able to purchase a reusable mug with a rechargeable RFID chip in it, and either a package with a certain number of “fills” or an unlimited package for the entire semester.

The first SUNY school to have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, Binghamton has implemented a program that traces seafood purchases all the way back through the supply chain to sustainable fisheries. Also, all recyclables are separated and picked up daily by the University to be processed. A recycled oil pick-up program ensures that cooking oils are reused for biofuels.

The campus has adopted Sodexo’s Mindful wellness platform and is dedicated to local/regional purchasing. According to a recent study, campus food purchases average 35% from New York and 57% from within 250 miles.

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