Rider ditches Aramark food service
LAWRENCE » Rider University has ditched food service provider Aramark in favor of a cheaper vendor that will deliver more vegan and vegetarian-based options to students, faculty and staff.
The university’s new partnership with Gourmet Dining takes effect July 1, according to Rider spokeswoman Kristine Brown.
“After the result of a competitive bid process, the university has chosen Gourmet Dining,” Brown told The Trentonian via email. “We have had a very positive, longstanding relationship with Aramark and are grateful for all they have done for Rider and our students for many years. However, we ultimately selected a new vendor that best met our criteria of providing more food choices and campus dining locations for our students, faculty and staff.”
Aramark, a Philadelphiabased corporation that generated $14.6 billion of sales in fiscal 2017, has lost its lucrative contract with Rider and will be relieved of its duties at the end of this month upon getting displaced by Gourmet Dining LLC, a New Jersey-based company that reports annual sales of over $95 million.
Aramark, a food service Goliath founded in 1959, got outflanked by the 31-yearold Gourmet Dining, which promises to deliver more wholesome food choices to Rider students and faculty members.
“Gourmet Dining will bring freshly prepared soups, scratch-made foods, expanded vegan and vegetarian options, locally sourced ingredients, as well as a Teaching Kitchen that will enhance Rider’s engaged learning initiatives,” Brown said. “Fresh made pizza, a food truck, pop-up restaurants like Crazy Quesadilla and Mac and Cheese Factory, an upgraded faculty dining room and national brand franchises will all be a part of Rider’s new dining experience. Starbucks will remain in the Student Recreation Center.”
In an age of increased demand for vegan and vegetarian-based options, Aramark could not seal the deal with Rider despite taking steps to diversify its menu.
“We continue to work across our supply chain to create menus with more vegan, vegetarian, and plantbased options that are produced locally and sustainably,” Aramark said in its 2017 annual report. The corporation says 30 percent of its menus have become vegetarian or vegan due to its “increased focus on plant-based choices.”
But Gourmet Dining, which provides food services at Seton Hall and Rowan universities, successfully lobbied for Rider’s business by presenting the best bid.
On its website, Gourmet Dining says it has a “great understanding of the contemporary tastes and lifestyles at the campus dining level in this region. From addressing the dietary concerns of vegans, dietary restrictions due to allergies or religious preference, environmental concerns of student activist, budgetary concerns of the student populace, time constraints of the commuter student body, and the overall level of student satisfaction, Gourmet Dining applies its passion and fervor as an industry leader in continually revitalizing and revolutionizing itself, and thus the dining locations which we serve.”
In addition to offering expanded vegan and vegetarian options at Rider, Gourmet Dining will also bring technology enhancements, including mobile ordering, a real-time feedback solution called Chattback and interactive tools to identify the eight major food allergens, according to the university’s spokeswoman.
“Additionally, Gourmet Dining will offer a variety of convenient, affordable and flexible meal plan options for students, with exceptional customer service and a commitment to health, wellness, sustainability and quality,” Brown said in her email. “Gourmet Dining will continue to support Rider’s established food insecurity initiatives through donated meals and support of the Rider Food Pantry.”
The 147 Aramark employees who provided food and dining services at Rider will be terminated effective June 30, but all of them are expected to continue working for Gourmet Dining.
“We are very thankful that Gourmet Dining intends to hire the existing Rider food service staff,” Brown said, “and we look forward to those individuals remaining a part of our vibrant campus community.”
Aramark spokeswoman Karen Cutler expressed similar sentiments. “This is not a job loss story,” she told The Trentonian via email. “Our contract with Rider University ended. Typically all of the employees will be offered employment by the new food service provider. They can also apply for other positions within our company.”