Building a Ship in a Bottle

FM Staff

The restored arched windows and soaring bowed ceilings rise high above the newly renovated and restored Branner Dining Hall at Stanford University. Opening its doors in 1924, Branner Dining served its first meals to Stanford undergraduates and remains a historical piece of the campus.

The renovation of Branner Residence Hall was the last in a series of major residence hall renovations undertaken over the last seven years at Stanford. Renovations to dining program serveries across campus, including the foodservice redevelopment at Branner Dining to focus on supporting new, upscale menus that called for the preparation of meals in "a la minute" restaurant style, and featured the development of new exhibition cooking stations.

The initial phase involved significant construction to retrofit the building to bring the structure in line with modern seismic safety codes, as well as providing necessary upgrades to electrical and plumbing mechanics for both residential and dining areas.

"Excellence in facility design and the highest quality equipment are absolutely necessary to support the upgraded menus now produced by Stanford Dining," says Rafi Taherian, executive Director of dining Services. "And that is was we receive during the Branner Hall dining renovation."

The new servery includes seven self-sufficient food stations, contain all prep equipment, storage and refrigeration needed for operation. There are three exhibition-style, made-to-order entrèe stations. As well as the Garden Visa (salad bar), The Deli, The Grounds (coffee station) and a dessert counter.