Food tour research inspires menu ideas for Perry Place
Dining Services' leadership went on a 17-city food tour to learn new ways to provide the best quality foods for students.
Biscuits covered in bacon, sausage, and more from one of the many stops on the Perry Place food tour. Photo by Brian Grove for Virginia Tech.
As Perry Place at Hitt Hall continues to be built, Dining Services' leadership team is constructing a menu of new offerings that incorporate student feedback, such as the desire for all-day breakfast, with research done during a 17-city food tour.
A BBQ platter at one of the many stops on the food tour. Photo by Brian Grove for Virginia Tech.
The food tour allowed Dining Services Director Brian Grove, Assistant Director Jeremiah Gardner, and Executive Chef James Zeisler Jr. the opportunity to see new ways that established restaurants operate and prepare for large amounts of customers.
They focused the tour on popular barbecue restaurants and diners to gather inspiration for Smoke and Solarex, Perry Place's planned barbecue-focused concept and the all-day breakfast diner. The tour also included time to explore new possibilities for other shops within Perry Place, including a visit to an Italian restaurant for Veloce.
A picture of a piece of cake from the Perry Place food tour. Photo by Brian Grove for Virginia Tech.
With a whopping 17 stops in one week including Kansas City, Austin, and Chicago — the team found culinary inspiration and knowledge and discovered new ideas about the art of delivering exceptional dining experiences quickly and authentically. The restaurants visited offered insights into new way to provide great food quickly – from new ways to prepare large amounts of food to recipe tips. The travels even extended to Sarasota, Florida, to gain insight from Boar's Head to enhance the menu for Trax Deli, another new shop in Perry Place.
A picture of a BBQ platter at one of the many stops on the food tour. Photo by Brian Grove for Virginia Tech.
As construction on Perry Place continues, the Virginia Tech community can follow along with updates and news. Visit the dining website.
