Optional add-ons make up 76% of GVSU meal plans sold in 2014

ALLENDALE, Mich. — At school, at work or at home, the world focuses around the three standard meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. This fascination leads to the question "where is the food coming from?" For Grand Valley State University, the answer is simple: outside contractors.

The university outsources its food service with a contract to Aramark. According to Aramark’s website, the company provides its food service to over 600 learning institutions across North America.

Most students at GVSU receive their meals through the campus dining service. There are standard food locations like the Fresh Food Company and The Connection, as well as other options including Kleiner Commons and River Landing, but all four main areas offer the same kind of food. Certain campus brands like Zoca are creations of Aramark’s service and are not exclusive to GVSU.

According to Deb Rambadt, campus dining marketing director, the university earns money through multiple avenues.

“Campus dining generates revenue through the sale of food (meal plans, debit dollars, cash, credit, debit),” Rambadt said.

Campus dining is not funded through tuition or contracts with outside food providers. Instead, GVSU gets its revenue exclusively from selling the goods it provides for students; money does not come from anywhere else. One of the spotlight features of campus dining is its meal plan system, which provides students with meals and dining dollars for the semester.

Rambadt said meal plans have been a staple at GVSU for over 50 years. Nonetheless, according to the campus dining website, 76 percent of meal plans sold in 2014 were from students who were not required to have a meal plan but chose to add one on after their freshmen year.

“Plans have evolved over the years with student needs,” Rambadt said. “We rely on student feedback."

Additionally, GVSU is a Pepsi campus, though campus dining does not handle that contract. Rather, GVSU has a pouring rights contract directly with Pepsi's business and finance department.

Doug Wentworth, director of auxiliary services at GVSU, said the university has had a contract with Pepsi for over 10 years. The contract was renewed last summer and will be in effect until 2024. At that point, GVSU will seek out competitive bids and analyze both Coke and Pepsi to make a decision.

“Pepsi gets an exclusivity to Grand Valley,” Wentworth said. “That means exclusivity to the fountain drinks and to the beverages in the categories that they compete in.”

GVSU decided to sign with Pepsi because of the products they sell. Wentworth said the university communicated with students and conducted a market survey related to sales. This helped them make their choice.