Save the date! Each semester Dining Services hosts a Give-A-Meal event. Donate a flex pass at dinner on the 1st to support your fellow huskies. All proceeds go to support the Students First Fund to assist students experiencing food insecurity. Find more info on the program at studentaffairs.uconn.edu/students-first-fund/
As Spring Break approaches please be aware that Dining Hall hours will be different on Friday, March 10th and Sunday, March 19th. All meal plans shut down for break after dinner on March 10th and resume on the 19th. Full details at link below.
Saturday, March 11th – Saturday, March 18th. If you currently have an Ultimate, Value or Custom Meal Plan, and you choose to remain on campus during Spring Break, you may sign up in advance, utilizing our form below, for meals included in your meal plan. Please note that meal plan points and flex passes will not be valid during this period. These meals are limited to one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner per day. Northwest will be the only residential dining facility open during Spring Break. Hours of operation will be: Breakfast 7:00am – 9:30am; Lunch 11:00am – 2:15pm; Dinner 4:00pm – 7:15pm.
Located in the new state-of-the-art Science 1 building, nanoByte café offers freshly brewed coffee, specialty coffee drinks, Boba milk tea, homemade pastries, daily soup/mac and cheese, and hot artisan sandwiches. Grab and go items like fresh salads, wraps, and a variety of snacks are also available. Stop by this semester and try some of their delicious offerings.
If you are new to campus or need a refresher on Dining FAQ visit dining.uconn.edu/semester-updates/
Hours – find dining hall & retail hours at dining.uconn.edu/hours or via the myUConn app.
Hours During Holidays & Breaks – visit dining.uconn.edu/hours for a spring semester document of hours during holidays & breaks.
Masking: Masking in the dining halls is highly recommended but not required.
Change Spring Semester Meal Plan: You have until Friday, February 3rd, 2023, to downgrade your spring semester meal plan; upgrade at any time
Up & Atom Cafe has permanently closed and nanoByte Cafe, located on the first floor of Science 1, will be opening on Tuesday, Jan 17th.
Stop by nanoByte Café this semester for some of their unique offerings such as bubble tea and small dessert “bytes” – hours will be M-F 7:30am-3:30pm.
Flex Passes and Points – not sure how or where to use them? Visit dining.uconn.edu/flex-pass-and-points/
Go Green in Spring with the Green Piece to-go container at the USM dining.uconn.edu/thegreenpiece/
Follow Dining on social at @uconndining to stay up to date for hours, specials, give-aways, pop-ups and more!
Stay tuned…Senior Slice is returning!
Meal plan options are available for faculty/staff, and students in on/off campus apartments dining.uconn.edu/meal-plans/
The Department of Dining Services will hold its annual Culinary Olympics on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The event will take place at the Putnam Refectory located on the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. This annual event shows off the skills of UConn Dining chefs in an individual recipe competition in the morning and then in a team-based “Chopped” style competition in the afternoon. The event is free and open to the public.
The morning event, “Recipe Contest” judging, is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:00am on Tuesday. Recipes are prepared on site by UConn Dining chefs for 12 portions and must fall into one of the following categories: Appetizer, Entrée, or Dessert. Recipes will then be judged on the following criteria: Creativity of Dish / Cooking Techniques / Use of Ingredients / Taste and Texture.
The afternoon event, “Boiling Point,” is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:00pm. This is our version of the “Chopped” competition that will involve teams of three chefs representing the different dining facilities within the department. Each team will be presented with a mystery box of ingredients, and using miscellaneous items from our pantry, prepare three different tapas (small food or appetizer) on each plate. Teams will have 75 minutes to prepare their dishes for three judges. Teams will then be scored on the following criteria: Creativity of dish / Cooking Techniques / Use of Ingredients / Taste and Textures. Teams are not allowed to bring ingredients or use ingredients that are not supplied by competition. The set up for Boiling Point allows guests to get up close to the teams to watch as they strategize, prep, and get creative with their mystery ingredients.
Location address: Putnam Refectory – Dining Hall-2358 Alumni Dr, Storrs, CT 06269
Parking: Parking is free and available to the public for the duration of the event in nearby D lot. Handicap parking is available right outside of the dining hall. Printable Map | Full UConn Map
Event Contact: Robert Landolphi, Assistant Director Culinary Development-Robert.landolphi@uconn.edu
Schedule:
10:00am-12:00pm: Recipe Contest Judging
10:00am-1:30pm: UConn Bakery Demos and Displays – stop by and sample some new bakery items for the upcoming semester
12:00pm-3:00pm: “Boiling Point” Competition
There will be an award presentation immediately following Boiling Point.
Recipe Contest Judges:
Judge: Chef Will Deason – Willimantic Brewing Company / Main Street Café, Willimantic, CT.
Judge: Chef Carl Stafford – Adjunct Professor of Hospitality Management, Manchester Community College http://www.manchestercc.edu/
Judge: Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh – “Ravings and Cravings” 1400AM WILI / 95.3 FM ravingsandcravings@gmail.com
Boiling Point Judges:
Judge: Chef Christopher Prosperi – Chef-Owner, Metro Bis Restaurant. www.MetroBis.com
Judge: Rand Richards Cooper – Independent novelist, longtime food and travel writer, and food critic. https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/users/rand-richards-cooper
Judge: Marc Hussey – Education Consultant Culinary & Hospitality, Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. www.cttech.org
Judge: Alex Dino – Author and Corporate Executive Chef, Nestle Professional, Chef Alex on Linkedin
Follow #UConnDining on Social
Facebook: @UConnDiningServices
Instagram: @UConnDining
Twitter: @UConnDining
Modified hours for UConn Dining retail locations will begin on the last day of classes on Friday, Dec. 9th and will continue through the first week of the spring semester. Please review hours for all our retail locations at dining.uconn.edu/hours.
Fall residential meal plans end with dinner on Sunday, December 18th and winter break meal plans begin Monday, December 19th.
Meal plans are required for those that are assigned to a dorm or suite during winter break. If you are applying for housing during winter break you will need to select a 5- or 7-day meal on the housing form. Students assigned to an on-campus apartment as their winter break housing are not required to have a meal plan but can call Dining Services at 860-486-3128 to voluntarily purchase a plan. Click here to enlarge/download/print flyer.
McMahon Hours of Operation from Dec 19-Jan 14th
Breakfast: 7:00am-9:30
Lunch: 11:00-2:15
Dinner: 4:00-7:15
All Dining Services locations will closed on December 25th, 2022 and January 1st, 2023.
QUESTIONS? Call our office at 860-486-3128.
After conducting a comprehensive national search, the Division of Student Affairs has named Michael White as Executive Director of Dining Services effective November 4, 2022.
White holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UConn and a Master of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven. In his 26th year as a UConn employee, he brings an impressive base of UConn experience to this position, including serving as Interim Senior Associate Director of Dining Services for the past 1.5 years. Prior to that he served as the Associate Director of Dining Services, an Area Manager, General Manager of Retail Operations and Student Program Coordinator. He started out in 1994 as a student worker washing pots at Shippee Dining Hall and progressed through the ranks which allowed him to gain a thorough understanding of the role every level of Dining Services plays in delivering a quality experience to all customers.
In addition to leading various aspects of Dining Services, White also held the UCPEA roles of President from 2015 – 2021 and First Vice President of Collective Bargaining from 2009 – 2015. In these positions he was a SEBAC representative, member of the Health Cost Containment Committee, and the Vendor Advisory Committee. He also sits on myriad UConn committees including Strategic Visioning, Covid-19 Medical Services Workgroup, Vice Provost’s Committee on Food Insecurity, University Senate, and the Access & Accommodations Committee.
Mike lives in Norwich, CT with his wife Jill (also a UConn alum ‘97). He has twin daughters Teagan and Cassidy who attend UConn-Avery Point. Teagan is majoring in Psychology and Cassidy is majoring in Speech and Language Pathology.
The Division of Student Affairs appreciates the work of the search committee chaired by Tracey Roy (Interim Executive Director of Dining Services), administered by Samantha Courtois (Dining Services) and composed of David Clokey (Assistant Vice President, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs), Cheryl Radzvilowicz (Environmental Health & Safety), Padma Srimatkandada (Student Affairs Information Technology), and Isaac Barber (Director, Student Union).
Much thanks is given to Dining Services staff members who stepped up to fill interim roles while the search was being conducted including Tracey Roy as Interim Executive Director, Rob Landolphi as Associate Director of Residential Dining, and White as Interim Senior Associate Director. Also appreciated is the outstanding work of all the Dining Services staff who stepped up during this time of transition under Tracey’s interim leadership and continued to produce high-quality services that Dining is known for.
