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Fall dining plans and reopen dates for the 25 Food Management Power Player universities

The 25 universities listed on Food Management’s College Power Players have announced tentative plans for the fall term regarding schedules and campus dining.

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

July 20, 2020

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Food Management’s College Power Players listing tabulates the 25 universities with the largest numbers of meal plan holders, also making their dining programs by inference 25 of the largest in the country. Like every other institution of higher learning, large and small, they have had to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, which we previously detailed.

Now, these schools are having to prepare for the fall term without knowing exactly what conditions they will be operating under. Nevertheless, they have all now communicated at least tentative plans for the coming term, which in many cases will commence next month. The plans include how campus dining will be conducted, though these range from highly detailed to rather sketchy, depending on the school.

What is clear is that all will have some form of dining onsite and all will abide by some general restrictions involving social distancing and avoidance of cross-contamination. Seating and dine-in options will be severely limited even at schools that will allow it, and all are expected to encourage takeout, with many deploying some form of preordering.

Here are capsule summaries of the plans communicated by each of the schools.

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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