Saint Louis University and Sodexo Partner to Enhance Culinary Experience on Campus

08/15/2018

This month, SLU and Sodexo, a food and facilities management company, signed a new contract for residential dining, retail and catering services at the St. Louis campus through 2028. 

Students eat in Grand Dining Hall where Sodexo will introduce  its Simple Servings concept, a dining program that is designed to accommodate customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance or other special dietary needs.  File photo. 

“The transition with Sodexo has taken place over a sixty-day period this summer. Thanks to the efforts of many people working together as a team, the process has been remarkably smooth,” said Kent Porterfield, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Development at SLU. “We are excited about the opportunities to improve our dining program at SLU, and we are anticipating a great partnership with Sodexo.”

Sodexo plans to retain all hourly employees working in campus dining and catering positions and has interviewed supervisory and managerial staff for continued employment.

“Saint Louis University and Sodexo have many shared values including engaging students and giving back to the communities we serve. It is an honor to once again partner with such a prestigious and forward-looking institution,” said Barry Telford, CEO, Universities West, Sodexo North America. “We are excited to create a memorable dining experience that will align with SLU’s overall strategic vision of encouraging the health and wellbeing, engagement and satisfaction of every customer.”   

Over the course of next year, Sodexo will work closely with the University community to understand SLU’s unique needs in order to deliver a custom and appealing culinary experience on campus.

While initial changes will be minimal, Sodexo aims to expand the variety of fare and elevate customer service, as well as offer its award-winning Simple Servings concept, a dining program that is designed to accommodate customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance or other special dietary needs, beginning in August.

Located in Grand Dining Hall, the Simple Servings Station offers a variety of safe and healthy options that are free from common allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, milk products and eggs. All options are also free from gluten-containing ingredients. Simple Servings staff members are carefully trained to avoid allergen and gluten cross-contact and encouraged to get to know students with dietary restrictions, and work to ensure they are not only safe, but socially included in the dining experience.

At the Marketplace in Busch Student Center, Mein Bowl will replace Panda Express. Mein Bowl offers healthy, fresh Asian cuisine. The menu will feature authentic global cuisine and vibrant menu combinations, as well as hand rolled sushi.

Sodexo is committed to helping those in need, reducing waste and conserving energy, and will work with and support SLU’s Campus Kitchen food recovery initiative as well as the new Billiken Bounty - Student Food Pantry that will open this fall. On more than 60 university and high school campuses across the country, student volunteers with The Campus Kitchens Project transform unused food from dining halls, grocery stores, restaurants and farmers’ markets into meals for people experiencing hunger. Saint Louis University was the first university to host a Campus Kitchen in 2001, at which time Sodexo was the food service provider.

Sodexo Universities provides food and facilities management services at more than 625 colleges and universities, where it employs approximately 48,000 people across North America. Sodexo Universities focuses on optimizing each clients’ physical, social and academic environment to help create the best possible student experience.