How George Mason University’s ‘The Spot’ became the spot to be for plant-based eating on campus

Like at many college campuses, sustainability is top of mind for students at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, so when the Sodexo team was looking for what new concept to bring to campus, it was clear that something centered around plant-based cuisine was the way to go. 

“More and more students are indicating that they eat vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or opt in to eating one of those diet choices at least once a week,” says Marketing and Sustainability Manager Sophia Nelson. “We knew we had the audience for it.”

In response, the team decided to open The Spot as a pilot last fall. Featuring a diverse menu of vegetarian and vegan options, the concept has grown in popularity and has increased its guest count by over 50% over the past year. 

Making the Menu

When setting out to develop The Spot’s menu, one focus for the team was featuring dishes that incorporate Future 50 Foods, a list of 50 ingredients identified by the World Wildlife Fund and Knorr that are “more sustainable in terms of where we’re sourcing our food from,” says Nelson. 

The Sodexo team was familiar with Future 50 Foods and had already created a concept devoted to them at other eateries on campus, but they wanted to do something different for The Spot to distinguish it. 

They came up with a several “Future 50” compost salads that utilized the ingredients in different ways such as a Quinoa Mango Salad.

In addition to Future 50 Foods, The Spot’s menu also focuses a lot on international cuisine which often naturally incorporate plant-based dishes. 

“We have a lot of international students, and people who are born and raised in the U.S. don't really realize that vegan and vegetarianism is like intrinsic to other cultures,” says Nelson. 

Over the past year The Spot’s menu has introduced a variety of dishes from India, Colombia, Ethiopia and more, including a rotating selection of empanadas that Nelson says have become a student favorite. 

During the pilot year, the team also spent time on marketing efforts to let students know that the concept had opened. Interns made reels on Instagram showing students where The Spot was located on campus and physical signage also directed them to the new space. 

Another way the team tried to draw attention to the space last year was through hosting events, such as a Global Eats menu takeover last spring which featured different international cuisines. 

“That had our highest customer count to date at that point. So, we were like, ‘All right, we're getting the pulse on what people really want,’” says Nelson. 

Outside partners also helped spread the word about the space, including local nonprofit Veg Society of DC who promoted the concept to the community during its DC Veg Restaurant Week event. 

The Spot offers students a variety of vegetarian and vegan options.

Going full time with the concept

The team’s creative menu and marketing efforts have paid off. This semester, The Spot officially moved out of its pilot phase and is now considered a full-fledged concept with longer hours. 

“During the pilot stage, it was just open for lunch, so 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and now we are open till 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday,” says Nelson. 

This semester, the team has put an effort into hosting events in the evening, including a farm-to-table pasta night, to further promote the spaces extended hours. 

Feedback on the space continues to be positive, Nelson says, and has grown from having a 85% satisfaction rate during the pilot phase to a 97% satisfaction rate this fall. Its guest count has also increased. 

“In the pilot, we started having 20 to 30 people a day, and now we're averaging 100 to 150 a day,” Nelson adds. “Our goal is to have 200 by the end of the semester.”

As the team continues to find ways to grow the space and reach its guest count goals, Nelson hopes it will become “a hub on campus for sustainability and community.”

“I want to keep having events, not only that feature local and sustainable food where students can learn new life skills, but also host other events for other groups on campus,” she says. “So, if somebody else needs a space to share, The Spot can kind of be that for them. I think we're moving towards that. We're getting there”