Foodservice distributors confirm a return to normalcy for college dining

Case unit food shipments from broadline distributors to college campuses increased by 47% in the 12 months ending in May 2022, The NPD Group reports.

Compare that to May, 2021, when shipments were down by 33%, said a report from the Chicago-based researcher, and it looks like college dining is recovering from two years of pandemic-fueled fits and starts. Measured in dollars, food shipments are up by 72% year over year.

“After a couple of challenging years, it's good to see foodservice operations on campuses coming back in full swing,” Tim Fires, president of NPD's SupplyTrack, said in a statement. 

Tracking food orders and deliveries paves the way toward identifying menu trends. While the typical college food and beverage items—chicken fingers, potatoes, eggs, burger meat and other popular choices—are all on the upswing, plant-based products have grown exponentially.

Year over year, total case shipments of plant-based proteins rose by 82% from 2021 to 2022, with faux chicken soaring 142% and beef analogs growing 111%. Compared to two years ago, plant-based chicken orders were up 72% and beef increased by 66%.

Plant-based pork and shrimp case shipments, relatively small in terms of volume, are also rising, NPD reports.

But pizza retains its status as a college dining favorite. Shipments of finished pizzas were up 115% during the same period. Most sought-after is “plain,” or cheese, pizza—57% of C&U operators order that variety.

But plant-based options are also gaining ground on college pizza menus. Shipments of plant-based pepperoni increased by 30%.