Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today - 17

GLOBAL
FLAVORS
IOWA COLLEGE
find a home in a small
Raine Terrill
senior manager of board
plan dining and production,
Wartburg College
In the ever-changing, global environment of collegiate dining, colleges
and universities are always challenged to seek new and creative ways
to enhance the guest experience and provide international flavors in
residential dining halls. For many, this isn't easy.
Devising a simple, yet inventive solution, Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa introduced
a station featuring an array of international sauces and seasonings in its Mensa Dining
Hall to address this student need. The result has been an overwhelmingly positive
reception. By catering to the evolving palates and preferences of its guests, the team
at Wartburg Dining aimed to create a positive and enriching dining experience that
went beyond food as merely fuel.
Marty Johnson, Wartburg's director of dining services, said the college includes
students representing 38 states and 55 countries. The total undergraduate enrollment
of the college in 2021 was about 1,500 students.
" With such a diverse student body, it is important for us to offer as much variety of
food choices as possible, " Johnson said. " We have found that enhancing the base menu
with sauces, condiments, and seasonings from around the world has simplified the
operation while at the same time improving student satisfaction. "
Introduced in May 2023, the international station was the passion project of Raine
Terrill, senior manager at Mensa Dining Hall, who envisioned creating more variety and
inclusivity in the dining hall, adding not only flavor and variety, but also providing the
opportunity to enjoy and explore different culinary traditions from around the globe.
" We have a large international student base, " Terrill said. " Many of them are very far
from home with little opportunity to make it home to visit. So, I wanted to bring the
flavors of home to them-to help them when they're homesick, to showcase flavors of
their countries, and show a bit about themselves through food. "
GLOBAL FLAVORS FIND A HOME | CAMPUS DINING TODAY
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Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today

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