Colorado Mesa University has a contract with Sodexo that is renewed annually. Sodexo and CMU say they have a good relationship and plan to continue that relationship for the years to come.
Campus dining at CMU is catered by Sodexo. Sodexo has partnerships with Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Einstein Bro’s, and that is why they are on campus. Sodexo is in charge of the dining hall, Jazzman’s, Rowdy’s which has Flat Top grill and Umai Bowls and Rolls inside, Pandini’s and Tres Habaneros.
“It’s really easy to find people you know, and force them to sit with you [in the campus dining hall,]” CMU student Sam White said, “They also have a pretty good selection of like salads, even if there is nothing else there.”
Sodexo expresses a focus on CMU students needs and says they will listen when they have suggestions. For example, they added the vegan bar in the dining hall to fit the needs of some students.
“That came across last year, and it was a direct result of some comments from our vegan population,” General Manager of Sodexo Joseph Winegardner said. “So my executive chef and I met with a group of students, there wasn’t a lot of them, but some of them, and that total vegan bar came because of their suggestions on what we might want to do there.”
Sodexo has gotten comments to have later hours in the dining hall, but there isn’t that much demand to change the hours. “Sometimes they [Sodexo dining hall] have some really on days and sometimes they just don’t have a good selection,” CMU student Lauren Mason, who is also on Meal Plan A, said, “That’s when we would go like to the library or Flat Top Grill, so it’s nice that there are other options.”
“We have gotten a handful of comments to have later hours, we tried to provide alternate opportunities like having Flat Top Grill open later,” Director of Budgets and Foodservice Programs Whitney Sutton said. “So, we look at how often students go in there and the demand isn’t there yet, so we try to use the Flat Top Grill as an alternate.”
Students with a meal plan can receive meal swipes or use their MavMoney at Sodexo restaurants like Flat Top Grill. “It’s defiantly a mix between the dining hall, library and Flat Top Grill,” said Mason. “It’s nice having meal swipes.”
Sodexo is not just at CMU, Sodexo caters to thousands of schools across the country. Sodexo has been with CMU for at least 30 years.
“We don’t have like a lifetime contract, we have an annual re-negotiation and periodically, we say, okay, let’s see who else is out there,” Director of Media Relations, Dana Nunn said. “But, Sodexo has done a pretty good job for us.”
People in the community are more than welcome to come to campus and eat as well. “Before a game, before an event, families can come in and pay and eat a meal,” Sutton said.
Anything that has outreach to the students, comes first to Sodexo, “That’s why we are here,” Winegardner said, “We also support the university greatly in our catering program, and supporting the school’s summer camps and conferences.”
Not every building at CMU has to have Sodexo cater for an event. “The guidelines are if there is an event for students in the University Center, then yes [Sodexo has to cater] but if they are doing something, in, let’s say, Dominguez, it’s not a necessity,” Sutton said.
