Alabama State, Gourmet Services in Contract Dispute

A dispute between Alabama State University and its longtime campus dining services provider Gourmet Services, Inc., has spilled over into the public arena after the Montgomery Advertiser obtained copies of letters passed between the parties containing charges and countercharges. One recent letter from the school to the company said that Gourmet Services provided “insufficient food at concession stands, cold buns served to the band members, soft drinks past their expiration dates, no food for game officials, and [insufficient] food for the athletic director’s suite” at the school's first football game. Gourmet Services says ASU currently owes it $750,000, including more than $250,000 that is over 60 days past. A dispute had already arisen a few weeks earlier with charges by Gourmet Services of "an unethical request" for the company to provide $20,000 in food and catering for an inaugural event on campus.