CulinArt meets and exceeds the discriminating tastes of our college, university, and graduate school students, faculty and staff.
Yesterday was the Grand Opening of our new campus. As you can imagine, there were many variables and unknowns. With our core value of “radical hospitality,” we turned to your CulinArt team here to accommodate our 300+ guests. The entire team should be commended on a job well done. Thank you for playing a huge role in making our Grand Opening a great success.
Chief Operating Officer, St. Francis College
Creating, crafting and serving up foods and brands that college students crave – that’s our approach to higher education dining. Whether an all-you-care-to-eat dining hall, a retail food court, a barista bar or a market, variety is key and quality is topmost. Just as important is connection. Brands they want. Flavors they love. Step up to Kickin’ Chickin for a juicy, pickle-brined chicken sandwich. Over-stuff a burrito or bowl at Cocina Fresca. Dip a birria taco at Urban Eats. Enjoy a bright and flavorful plant-forward meal free of the top 9 allergens at Oasis Grill. Mix and match with small plates from all stations at Dine-in. Grab a Pink Drink from Starbucks or mochi ice cream from the Market. On-trend, tasty and authentic. That’s the perfect recipe. At CulinArt, food is our muse. We know that it’s more than sustenance; it is an art form that inspires minds, binds communities and advances culture.
It’s their home away from home. Whether a transient day or night student or a campus resident, the dining hall is their central hub. We know how important the food experience is to each and every student, and we don’t take that with a grain of salt. Hospitality is an art, a talent and a skill. Our teams are proud to serve students. They are delighted to engage. They know how much it matters. Everything we do centers on creating positive, memorable experiences, no matter how brief the encounter. At CulinArt, we all love what we do, and it shows.
The college experience is about more than attending classes. We know just how essential connection and community are to student life. CulinArt creates programs and events that students love to join. We are a social bunch. We are fun. Our students and our teams are engaged. We are full of personality and energy. On any given day, a CulinArt team is hosting a Midnight Breakfast with live entertainment, highlighting a local, immigrant chef partner through our Heritage Kitchen program, lighting up the dining room for Diwali, cheering on dueling chefs during our Waste Warrior Challenge Cooking Competition, making a viral food trend, like smashed tacos, take center stage, and so much more. We meld our partners’ long-standing college traditions with our own food-focused and -inspired events, and we do our part to make students smile, like and share.
We recognize the vital role nutrition plays in academic success and overall well-being. Through mindful menu planning and educational initiatives, we promote healthy eating habits that empower individuals to thrive. Our Teaching Kitchen program provides a platform for students to explore food, culinary and nutrition literacy, intended to positively impact food choices, healthful dining habits, culture, community and performance. Our number one priority is a safe food environment for students away from home. CulinArt’s allergen training programs are immersive with the multi-faceted and situational training our team members need to build confidence in and around allergen awareness, recipe management and disclosure. CulinArt’s team of Registered Dietitians are a familiar presence on our college campuses, at the ready to answer students’ questions, help navigate menus, inspire healthful food decisions and drive fundamentally-sound nutrition programming.
We see delicious food as a catalyst for change and use our menus to influence students to make positive choices for their health and the planet. With a constant focus on sustainability, our chefs bring their passion, experience and partnerships to deliver inclusive, locally sourced and balanced menus. As we continue to decarbonize, we focus on the areas with the greatest impact. We are continuing the journey to stop food waste, engineer menus with low carbon ingredients, collaborate with our suppliers to reduce Scope 3 emissions and drive positive behavior change with students, faculty and staff. CulinArt has partnered with Food for Climate League, a trailblazing, women-led nonprofit working to make climate-smart eating the norm. Within each campus community we serve, we are connecting the dots between sustainable food culture and people’s unique needs, values and cultures.
