Roger Susanin from WFSB Channel 3 visited with Chef Landolphi to discuss back-to-school meals including our loaded tots and empanadas that will be on the menu at the Union Street Market for Fall semester. Click the image below to see the full segment that took place in our Innovation Lab.
Author: Desroches, Rebecca
Change Meal Plan Deadline – Sept. 15th
New this semester!
Friday, September 15th, 2023 will be the last day to downgrade or upgrade your Fall 2023 meal plan.
After this date, changes cannot be accommodated. Upgrades will no longer be accepted at any point during the semester.
Please use our online form to make changes.
July Holiday Closures
Retail Locations Closed July 3-9
Union Street Market, C-Store, Market Cafe, Beanery Cafe, & Food Truck. Food Truck will also be closed on June 30th.
Closed on July 4th
- Putnam Dining Hall
- Dairy Bar
- Mort’s Cafe – Avery Point
Husky Harvest Food Pantry – Storrs
Closed on July 3rd. Open July 5th, 11am-4pm.
Farm Fresh Market – closed July 6
Union Street Market will be closed from July 17th-August 18th. During this time One Plate, Two Plates will be open; Monday through Friday from 10:30am-2:30pm
Storrs Campus Food Pantry Open for Summer
Farm Fresh Market Returns June 1st
Save the date! Farm Fresh Market is back on Thursday, June 1st! Stop by the Benton Museum patio on Thursdays from 11:30am-1:30pm this summer for fresh picked produce from UConn Spring Valley Student Farm, fresh baked goods from UConn Bakery, and the Dairy Bar truck! Some other great things to check out while you’re at the market:
- Beanery Cafe at the Benton will be open
- Benton Museum will be open 5/30-7/30
- UConn Dining Food Truck on Fairfield Way
Only debit/credit accepted.
Follow UConn Dining on social for Farm Fresh Market updates. If there is inclement weather, the market may take place on the lower floor of the Student Union near the food court. Market details may change when fall semester begins.
Facebook: @uconndiningservices
Instagram: @uconndining
Dining Services Earns Distinguished National Nutrition Award
The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) announced UConn Dining Services as the recipient of a distinguished NACUFS Nutrition Award. Dining Services received gold in the category of Best Local Foods Recipe. The NACUFS Nutrition Awards recognize the outstanding nutrition and wellness programs implemented within collegiate foodservice programs to meet the needs of a dynamic student population.
The winning recipe, Chicken Sausage, Butternut Squash and Kale Hand Pies with Lemon Ricotta, is served at Whitney Dining Hall. Whitney is one of eight dining halls on the Storrs campus and features local, vegetarian, and vegan items. The farm-to-table initiative offers sustainable and local food items from a variety of local farmers and food producers including UConn’s Spring Valley Student Farm. UConn Dining is the largest consumer of locally grown produce in Connecticut.
“We are proud to have an administration at UConn that supports our involvement in NACUFS, and a team within Dining Services that believes in supporting local farming which strengthens our local community and economy” says Robert Landolphi, Assistant Director of Culinary Development for UConn Dining Services. “Most importantly we have a student body that dines with us daily and are willing to share with us what is important to them as they assist us in expanding our local and regional purchases.”
NACUFS member institutions across North America submitted entries in two categories — Most Innovative Wellness & Nutrition Program and Best Local Foods Recipe.
UConn Dining has received 21 awards from NACUFS in the last 15 years for recipes, dining hall renovations, gluten free options, culinary challenges, catering, and sustainability initiatives.
Want to try the hand pie recipe at home? Find a printable recipe and demo at dining.uconn.edu/recipes.
The National Association of College & University Food Services was founded in 1958 by a group of college and university foodservice professionals from across the United States. Since its inception, NACUFS has focused on its mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.
NACUFS institutional members range from private colleges to large public universities, including two-year and four-year institutions, spanning the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and beyond. Industry members include food and equipment manufacturers, distributors, brokers, foodservice support companies, councils, boards, trade associations, advisory commissions and other professional groups. For more information, visit NACUFS.org.
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UConn Dining Halls Receive Certifications & Awards for Sustainability
All eight of our dining halls have recently achieved the highest level of certification from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). UConn is the only campus in the United States to have every dining hall become four-star certified.
To achieve certification, UConn Dining had to meet several GRA requirements, including the implementation of sustainable practices in the following areas:
- Energy Use
- Water Efficiency
- Waste Reduction
- Reusables & Disposables
- Chemical and Pollution Reduction
- Food
- Buildings & Furnishings
- Education & Transparency
The GRA is a nonprofit organization that works to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry by helping restaurants become more environmentally responsible. Their standards reflect over 30 years of research in the field of restaurants and the environment.
The purpose of the GRA standards is to provide a transparent way to measure each restaurant’s environmental accomplishments, while providing a pathway for the next steps they can take to increase their environmental sustainability. Restaurants can earn GreenPoints™ in any of the eight categories below. To become a Certified Green Restaurant®, enough GreenPoints™ must be earned across the categories.
UConn Dining has implemented several sustainable practices over the years, including trayless dining to reduce food waste and water usage, measuring pre-consumer waste, sending waste to be transformed into biogas and compost, and recycling cooking oil. Dining is also the largest procurer of local produce in Connecticut.
Below are just some of the practices that have been implemented in each category to achieve a four-star rating:
- Energy Use – All dining rooms now have LED lighting, purchase Energy Star equipment as replacements and have installed strip curtains in all refrigeration and freezers to reduce energy loss.
- Water Efficiency – Water use is calibrated for the appropriate job including sink aeration, low flow sprayers and dish washers.
- Waste Reduction – UConn Dining uses china/glass/silver for meal service rather than disposable wares. Bulk packaging is used for over 80% of condiments, salt & pepper, etc.
- Reusables & Disposables – Disposable products are made with a high content of recyclable materials and are bleach free.
- Chemical and Pollution Reduction – Green Seal cleaning products are used in all operations. No idling policies are in place for the loading docks and smoking is designated to be at least 25’ away from buildings.
- Food – UConn Dining serves a high percentage of vegan and vegetarian foods throughout the menu.
- Buildings & Furnishings – Paints, coatings and building materials in renovations have low VOC, are high in recycled content and the construction debris is recycled.
- Education & Transparency – The UConn Dining website and every dining hall has information about the Green Restaurant Association and proudly displays the star awards.
In addition, three of UConn’s Dining Halls have recently received awards from the Green Restaurant Association.
- Putnam Dining Hall – winner of the 2023 Chemical and Pollution Reduction Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Chemicals Category with 60.26 GreenPoints™.
- Whitney Dining Hall – winner of the 2023 Waste Reduction Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Waste Category with 78.85 GreenPoints™.
- McMahon Dining – winner of the 2023 Water Conservation Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Water Category with 44.29 GreenPoints™.
UConn Dining has also received recognition for its sustainable practices from other organizations, including the Sustainable Foodservice Leaders Award from the National Association of College and University Food Services and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge Award.
To learn more about more about the GRA points that each dining hall has achieved visit https://dining.uconn.edu/certified-green/
Exam Week/Commencement Weekend Hours
DINING HALL HOURS – End of the Semester
Dining halls will have normal hours through May 4th.
Planning Ahead? Holiday and break hours for the dining halls are posted at the start of every semester on our hours page.
Looking for summer dining hall info?
RETAIL LOCATION HOURS
Annual Spring Fling & Zero Waste BBQ to be held April 19th
The annual Earth Day Spring Fling, co-hosted by the UConn Office of Sustainability and UConn Dining Services, will take place Wednesday, April 19th on Fairfield Way from 11am-2pm. The sustainability festival will include vendors, fun activities, and a Zero Waste BBQ catered by Dining Services.
The Zero Waste BBQ from Dining will feature vegan, vegetarian, and sustainable menu items that have been locally sourced. Lunch will cost one flex pass or $12 credit/debit. The meal cost will include a small ice cream from the UConn Dairy Bar truck that will be on site. UConn Bakery will also be on Fairfield Way handing out cupcakes decorated with a BBQ theme (while supplies last).
See below for menu and schedule. Make sure to sign up & sign a waiver for outdoor yoga at sustainability.uconn.edu/earth-day-spring-fling