VT Campus Dining recently ranked #2 in the nation

Long gone are the days of questionable cafeteria food and trays filled with slimy slop. College dining is evolving so quickly that even a good home-cooked meal is taking a backseat. In 2015 the Princeton Review ranked Virginia Tech’s campus dining #1 in the country, so it comes as no surprise that VT has grabbed yet another high ranking.

NICHE ranked Virginia Tech’s campus dining #2 in the country, right behind University of California, Los Angeles. The methodology is more than just the delicious chocolate chip pancakes at West End or the mouth-watering chocolate milk at D2.

The factors considered in the NICHE analysis were student survey responses regarding campus dining as well as the average meal plan cost in comparison to other schools. Niche assessed 1,384 four-year colleges and universities and we came out on top (almost). According to VT news, “Dining Services’ 7.1 million meals per year generate $55 million in sales annually and it boasts an exceptionally high rate of off-campus residents among its 18,650 dining plan holders.”

Sophomore Logan White speaks to the school’s dining success, “I think VT’s high dining ranking is partially due to the atmosphere in which the food is served. While we do have the standard ‘all you can eat’ cafeteria style dining halls, places like Turner or West End provide a more upscale feel. Another contributor is the wide range of food and the assortment of actual restaurants that are on campus, such as Qdoba, Au Bon Pain, Bruegger’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. This makes students feel as if they’re not eating bland cafeteria food. However, I think there is definitely room to improve on the efficiency of the lines and all of the crowding and chaos it causes.”

According to the Niche methodology report, Virginia Tech received an elevated ranking when it came to the meal plan costs. The lower than average meal plan cost earned more “than 4.5 standard deviations above the mean college, an exceptionally high number.” Even with the low cost, the school still manages to maintain a sustainable initiative that benefits both the functionality of the dining system as well as a more eco-efficient community.

Dining Services has its very own farm, which is conveniently, located at Kentland Farm, which is also used by Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ for research based purposes. VT news reported that in the “2012-13 academic year, Dining Services purchased 12.9 percent of food from local sources, with a goal to increase that number to 20 percent by 2020.” Many of the locally grown products can actually be found in many of the different dining halls around campus. In fact, fresh produce straight from the Dining Services farm is used and served in every Dining Hall and dining unit on campus. Not only that, but fresh Virginia Tech Milk is also served at D2 and Deet’s Place, perfect for an early morning refresher or for Sunday brunch.

Although there are several different options and menu items to choose from, the driving force behind the success of Virginia Tech’s Dining Services’ is the hardworking faculty and staff that work to plan, organize and execute the details of the system’s infrastructure. Their hard work and dedication is one reason First Lady Michelle Obama mentioned that VT has “the best campus food you’ll ever eat” in her 2012 commencement speech.

LETS GO….!!! (to the dining halls)