Winter 2023 Campus Dining Today - 55

locations on campus to more local
coffee houses like Opus Coffee and
Oceana Coffee. These two native Florida
coffee houses bring a touch of Florida
and UF pride to every cup.
Florida Fresh Dining has also created
spaces for even more local shops,
promoting a sense of community
through shared experiences. Working
with dining partners, the dining team
offers a distinctive food truck rotation
program, featuring local and minorityowned
businesses, that adds variety and
cultural richness to UF's dining options.
Florida Fresh has opened its doors to 77
local caterers, providing a platform for
local entrepreneurs and franchisees to
showcase their talents.
The drive to provide local doesn't stop
there. UF's residential dining halls also
showcase local restaurants, farmers, and
businesses and allow students to explore
diverse cuisines without leaving campus.
In collaboration with UF's Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences
and the College of Food Science and
Human Nutrition, Florida Fresh Dining
has pioneered unique events, sampled
research crops, and even created
innovative dishes from Florida-grown
produce, bringing academia and dining
closer than ever. The partners worked
together to use a new variety of purple
sweet potato to invent a purple sweet
potato doughnut from potato flour.
Students have also sampled the unique
white strawberries grown in Florida.
Matt Mueller, UF's director of food and
beverage services, is thrilled with the
progress of local business integration
into the Florida Fresh Dining program.
" UF students have consistently stressed
the importance of adding more local
and diverse food offerings to campus, "
Mueller said. " We have strategically
added local in many different areas
An employee of The Halal Shack on the
University of Florida's campus is pictured.
(Photo courtesy of Florida Fresh Dining)
of the program as we work to create a
'uniquely UF' dining experience. "
Vice President of Operations for Florida
Fresh Dining Andrew Lipson noted the
local collaborations benefit all involved.
" The collaboration and partnership with
UF to provide more local options on
campus has been exciting, " Lipson said.
" The desire from UF to bring in local
options aligns perfectly with Florida
Fresh Dining's mission and could not be
a better win-win-win for the university,
Chartwells, and the campus community. "
This marks just the beginning of the
University of Florida's journey toward
a more interconnected, flavorful, and
community-centric dining experience.
As Florida Fresh Dining continues to
innovate and collaborate, the university
is not only educating minds but also
nurturing a sense of community through
shared culinary experiences. §
Working with
dining partners, the
dining team offers a
distinctive food truck
rotation program,
featuring local and
minority-owned
businesses, that adds
variety and cultural
richness to UF's
dining options.
LOCALLY YOURS: EMBRACING AREA BUSINESSES FOR HOMEGROWN DINING
| CAMPUS DINING TODAY
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Winter 2023 Campus Dining Today

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