USC food service changed Saturday with Sodexo officially ceding control to Philadelphia-based provider Aramark, to be known as "Carolina Food Co." on the USC campus.
According to USC associate director for public relations Jeff Stensland, the change will net USC just under $252 million over the length of a 15-year contract. Faren Alston, senior district marketing manager for Aramark, spoke to The Daily Gamecock about some of the changes to campus dining students can expect in the next few years, including new locations.
Alston said addition of new dining locations will begin with a pair of fully licensed Starbucks locations at Welsh Humanities and Thomas Cooper Library to be open by the spring 2018 semester. "Extensive renovations” within Russell House are also planned to begin next summer, including construction of the following:
• “A full service Chick-fil-A location to replace the current express location that is in operation”
• OLILO, a Mediterranean dining experience developed by celebrity chef Cat Cora in conjunction with Aramark
• Horseshoe Deli expansion
• The USC-specific Congaree River Smokehouse
• A “full service, all-you-care-to-eat restaurant featuring a Culinary Studio, used for recipe and menu development”
Alston added that plans have been made for the future Campus Village development, including a third Starbucks location, Aramark's “premier all-you-care-to-eat brand, Fresh Food Co.” and the “Gamecock General convenience store."
Plans for Campus Village were unveiled in 2015 and involve construction of eight new residence halls and a parking garage in the southern portion of campus along Whaley Street. No construction is underway at this time, but the first phase is scheduled for 2019.
Alston stated that meal swipe periods maintained under Sodexo will remain as previously scheduled for the time being, but will eventually be replaced by an “All Access” plan as additional all-you-care-to-eat locations are constructed on campus. According to Alston, the future “All Access” plan will “allow full access to those all-you-care-to-eat dining locations with no restriction on when the meal swipes can be used.”
Alston confirmed that Gibbes Court Bistro, Bates Dinner and Honeycomb Café will remain all-you-care-to-eat locations for 2017-18.
Though ambitious projects are on the way, Carolina Food Co. will certainly have a reputation to uphold starting immediately. In 2015, The Daily Meal named Carolina Dining the 23rd-best college dining experience in the nation. CollegeRank.net ranked Carolina Dining 32nd in the nation the following year.
"We have every intention to enhance the dining program at the University of South Carolina to ensure that we are one of the premier universities in terms of the dining services program," Alston said. "Through a focus on culinary innovations, fresh, local ingredients, made-to-order preparation, cutting edge dining concepts and style of service, and direct feedback from the campus community, will we be able to further solidify the University of South Carolina as a flagship university for food."
Alston said Carolina Food Co. offered employment to individuals working in Carolina Dining locations under Sodexo. A “large majority” will return in 2017-18, she said.
Alston also said recruitment of USC students for food service jobs will be a key objective this fall and added that Carolina Food Co. will partner with the Career Center and the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management to do so.
Carolina Food Co. will operate "a number" of on-campus dining locations through the end of summer. To introduce the brand to the student body, special "Welcome Back" events are scheduled for the beginning of fall semester, Alston said. Alston #3 -cqjb
This story has been edited to properly reflect the nature of USC's latest food service contract, under which the university will receive $252 million from Aramark.