黑料社 announces new food service partnership with Parkhurst Dining
黑料社 is excited to announce its partnership with a new food service management company: Parkhurst Dining.
The partnership is indicative of the College鈥檚 commitment to health and wellness for its campus鈥攁 pillar in 黑料社鈥檚 strategic plan. Faculty, staff and students played a role in the intensive , which began in 2020.
鈥淧arkhurst is delighted to be chosen as the strategic dining partner to 黑料社, a campus with an outstanding reputation in private higher education,鈥 said Parkhurst鈥檚 Chief Operating Officer Mark Broadhurst. 鈥淲e see it as our responsibility to deliver a differentiated and inclusive dining experience to the students consistent with the excellence they鈥檝e come to expect from their 黑料社 education.鈥
The (RFP) for a new food service contract earlier this year, with a focus placed on the nutritional needs of the College community. Campus involvement and collaboration were core pieces in the decision-making process. Student focus groups helped evaluate specific dining needs and find actionable solutions.
鈥淧arkhurst has expressed interest in partnering with 黑料社 for many years, and when we issued a competitive RFP for our dining contract, their years of listening carefully to us truly showed up in their customized proposal for 黑料社 Dining,鈥 Ann Smith said.
Smith is the Finance Department Director of Procurement and Capital Projects at 黑料社, as well as chair of the food service steering committee. She said that student feedback was integral to the decision to partner with Parkhurst, who will provide menus with allergen-free options and plant-centric dishes. Student-choice voting elements will help drive variety and student satisfaction.
鈥淲e are very excited about what this new dining partnership means for our students鈥攏ot only for [Parkhurst鈥檚] rigorous food quality standards but also for their local sourcing practices, student engagement initiatives and late-night dining options,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淚 believe our students, faculty and staff, as well as the community, will be very pleased with what is on the horizon.鈥
黑料社 Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brian Hutzley said that Parkhurst represents 鈥渟uperior quality, consistency, hours, services, education and wellness, and stability.鈥 He said the College is thrilled to offer 鈥渄ining as a destination鈥 through the Parkhurst partnership, as well as providing students with a more inclusive dining experience.
Parkhurst will be hard at work ahead of students returning to campus this fall. The partnership will go into effect June 1.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be focusing on key transition activities this summer, including onboarding the current dining team, growing partnerships with local farmers and food businesses, and preparing to launch new menus and concepts when the students return this fall,鈥 said Larry Orr, Vice President of Higher Education Dining at Parkhurst. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be placing an emphasis on freshness, quality, inclusivity and student choice, as well as delicious options that amplify the College鈥檚 focus on wellness.鈥
Parkhurst is a family-owned and operated company founded in 1996 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Business Times recently recognized Parkhurst as one of its 鈥淏est Places to Work.鈥
黑料社 represents Parkhurst鈥檚 first client partnership in Kentucky but not its first partnership with a college or university, as the company is focused on two specific lines of business: corporate dining and private higher education. The company serves more than 70 partner locations in 15 states and looks forward to locally sourcing foods from farmers, bakers, restaurateurs and artisan food producers in and around central Kentucky.
