Dining services named Best Campus Food for third time

5 Aug 2014

Plated food with fork in front — Virginia Tech Dining Services has received national accolades for its innovative approach to food, atmosphere, sustainability, and services.

Virginia Tech has been named No. 1 in the Princeton Review's Best Campus Food rankings for 2015.

This ranking and those in a number of other categories push Virginia Tech into Princeton Review’s respected annual college guide, “The Best 379 Colleges.” The widely-read publication features the nation’s outstanding institutions of higher education.

Virginia Tech Dining Services has consistently ranked in Princeton Review’s top four best campus food spots, and previously attained the No. 1 designation in 2010 and 2008.

“We are compared with many fine institutions for this distinction, but we also continually challenge ourselves,” said Ted Faulkner, director of dining services. “Our dining leadership, chefs, managers, and staff are constantly elevating the program and what we can achieve. To have this announcement come just as we are gearing up for the return of students is truly inspiring for our entire team.”

As part of the announcement, Virginia Tech dining is scheduled to be featured during today's 9 a.m. hour of the Today Show.

Virginia Tech also ranked high in other categories:

No. 2 Town-Gown Relations Are Great
No. 3 Their Students Love These Colleges
No. 5 Happiest Students
No. 5 Best Quality of Life

Dining Services’ 7.1 million meals per year generate $55 million in sales annually and it boasts an exceptionally high rate of off-campus residents among its 18,650 dining plan holders.

First Lady Michelle Obama called Virginia Tech Dining Services “the best campus food you’ll ever eat” in her 2012 commencement address.

“Dining Services’ national recognition is deserved and is just part of the story,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo. “The factor that really distinguishes our program is the profound commitment of our people to making a student’s Virginia Tech experience the best it can be.”

Dining Services has a long tradition of national accolades for its innovative approach to food, atmosphere, sustainability, and services. The 2015 Princeton Review top spot is just one of the many that Dining Services’ 2,000+ team members have recently received.

They include

Ted Faulkner, 2014 Premier Illuminating Excellence Award for Colleges and Universities Foodservice, Premier REACH;
2013 College and University Innovator of the Year, Food Management magazine;
No. 1, Best Variety, College Prowler;
No. 1, Best Quality Food, College Prowler;
Turner Place at Lavery Hall, The National Association of College & University Food Services Grand Award for the Loyal E. Horton; Award in the category of Retail Sales – Multiple Concepts/Marketplace Design;
No. 7, Healthiest Dining Options, College Prowler;
2014 RecycleMania pledge drive winner;
2014 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, Bronze Medal;
VT Milk, designated as a Virginia’s Finest product;
Lavery Hall, Outstanding Design Award for Specialized Facility, American School University;
The Hobbit Meal, special event coverage, Food Management magazine;
2014 Gold Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, Flappers and Fall Guys theme dinner;
2013 No. 3, Best College Food in America, The Daily Meal magazine;
2013 Best Concepts: Best New Facility, Food Management magazine;
No. 1, Fittest College, The Active Times;
Turner Place at Lavery Hall, Silver LEED Certification, U.S. Green Building Council;
A+ Campus Dining, College Prowler;
Brueggers Bagels, New Bakery Volume Leader award; and
Qdoba Gold Sales award.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

Written by Sandy Broughton.