College Power Players: Colorado

38. University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO

Dining Head: Amy Beckstrom, director of auxiliary & dining services
Total Enrollment: 32,000
Students Living on Campus: 7,796
No. of Meal Plans Sold: 11,207
Annual Dining Program Revenues: $43 million
Cost Range of Residential Meal Plans: $3,059/semester
No. of Residential Dining Halls/Commons: 4
No. of Retail Outlets: 6
Management: self-operated
Website: housing.colorado.edu/dining
Phone: (303) 492-6325

The centerpiece of the campus dining program at UC-Boulder is the four-year-old Center for Community (C4C) Dining Center. Reportedly the first large scale, non-commercial dining center to receive LEED Platinum certification, it boasts 10 micro-restaurants ranging in cuisine focus from sushi and Latin to kosher and Persian.

The newest retail concept on campus is the Hub in the just-completed Kittredge Central complex, which serves baked goods, coffee drinks, milkshakes and fresh sandwiches/salads along with convenience items.

The school’s Housing & Dining Services works hard to meet special student dining preferences such as vegan/vegetarian, kosher and halal. It has created and implemented a strong allergen awareness program called A⁹ Identified, which identifies the eight major food allergens plus gluten on all food in the dining centers and grab-n-go’s.  In 2014, UC-Boulder was recognized as both a Top 10 Gluten Free Accommodating College and a Top Vegan University.

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