This is always hard. UMass is a large residential university. We have more than 16,000 students on meal plans, so it’s not unusual that students dine with us their entire four years they. In fact, we have more than 3000 seniors on various meal plans. We love our seniors. They know us so well, and it’s clear that they enjoy the program. They’re our most valuable customers, not only because of their loyalty but also because they give us honest feedback. Several also act as student ambassadors, helping us improve the program by collecting suggestions from other students. Some of them are also part of our student staff.
I got to know quite a few of them over the years, and we’ve become friends. Each year I find it harder to say goodbye, especially since I have known many of the students since they were freshman. They are all familiar faces.

This year there are two seniors in particular that I am really going to miss. One is a biology major who wants to a doctor someday. She invited me to view her research presentation on cancer research based on studies performed on zebra fish. She was so excited about her work that she told me several times about her forward-thinking research. While I didn’t quite understand every detail of her project, I know she will have a bright future. Another senior is one of those students who always calls out to me by name whenever I walked by the DC. He invited me to his cultural night event, saying, “Ken, you will love it.” Just the other day he told that although he had already graduated, he will stay on for the graduation ceremony. He is from Taiwan and plans to further his studies someday. Both students told me how much they love UMass Dining and how much they are going to miss the DC.

We wish all of our students well. So to show our appreciation for their business, we will provide seniors with a UMass goodie bag containing an “I Love the DC” t-shirt, a refillable bottle, and three meal plan tickets good for future visits. We also offer complementary meals to all parents and family members who come for commencement. It’s our way of saying: “Let us serve you one more time.”

Good-bye seniors – we are going to miss you! Take care!

This Is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

At UMass, we extended Earth Day from one day into a week’s worth of activities, especially a 5K run for charity. On Saturday, April 21, more than 700 students, staff, and guests took part in the 3rd annual UMass 5K Dash and Dine, which raises money for the Amherst Survival Center. The idea of the UMass 5K came about when we were looking for ways to donate meal plan swipes to charity. The Amherst Survival Center—an all-in-one food bank, soup kitchen, and medical clinic—was a good fit since it is always a good idea to help neighbors in need. At the same time, we also thought it was important to promote healthy eating and wellness by encouraging students to exercise and to enjoy a healthy meal afterward. This event also offered a chance to build community among UMass students and residents of Amherst.

This year, it was quite a gathering: Chancellor Holub and his family kicked off the race. Since I had been working behind the scenes, I didn’t think I would be able to run the course. But I changed my mind at the last minute and registered my entire family to participate. My daughter suggested that the group name be District 413 (she had to inform me what this meant), and it sounded fun to be part of a group. As a board member of the Survival Center, I also felt that I had to give the race my best shot, even though I was not in shape for running a road race.

When the horn sounded, I joined the crowd and started running. The first 1000 feet were a breeze, but the next 1000 got harder as we began running up an incline. I had to slow down and walk, but my daughter suggested that I should keep going at a slower jogging pace instead. Despite the incline, I was having fun, and since three members of my staff were in front of me, I had the motivation to keep up. I walked and ran for the next 2 miles. (At one point, I thought about taking a short cut, but my daughter would not permit me to do it—plus, I knew it was a wrong thing to do.)

Miraculously, I picked up the pace at the end until I crossed the finish line. What a relief. I was 25th for my age group, which I figured wasn’t bad, all things considered.

It was so great to see how everyone got involved, including some of the young teens from Amherst. Congratulations to the winners and a big thanks to the UMass Police Department, News Office, Physical Plant, and to Chancellor Holub for supporting this race for the past three years. And to all of you who took part, thank you on behalf of UMass Dining and the Amherst Survival Center. We could not have done it without your support.

Please continue to look for ways to make the world a better place. We are all guests of this planet.

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

Whether you are serving 1000 students or 28,000 students like UMass, paying attention to our customers’ comments is paramount to our success. One good example of this is our food truck Baby Berk; not only did the name of the truck came from a student’s suggestion, the menu and where the trucks should be located at various times was based on student input. Most of the staff working on the BabyBerk are students, and they want our food truck to be successful and to serve what our customers want.

UMass dining employs 25 student ambassadors and their primary job is to evaluate our dining program from the quality of food, menu offering and service, to gathering information from other students. The ambassadors are ‘on duty’ at each meal and they send us survey results electronically. Manager Martha, directors Garett and David, and I review each set of feedback and send it to the appropriate managers for their attention and action within 24 hours. We also meet with student ambassadors twice a year. Some of the most successful ideas for the dining program are a direct result from students’ suggestions. Last week, we asked them how we can make the upcoming Taste of UMass more exciting. Students suggested that we add a Dance Dance Revolution segment and a photo booth. Guess what, they will be some of the new features for this year’s Taste of UMass, on April 27.

We are so thankful to receive input from our students – you all play an important role in the success of UMass Dining.
This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

The idea started as a way to gather some of the best food schools under one roof to showcase campus-dining excellence. Chefs from Wheaton College, Virginia Tech, Bryn Mawr College, Cornell University, and UMass each will serve three entrees, two side dishes, and a dessert, allowing our students to experience what their peers from other schools like to eat. During the event, foodservice directors from each school to give brief talks about their campus dining programs while a representative from The Princeton Review will discuss the publication’s ranking process.

In many ways, campus dining is at the forefront of the foodservice industry. We work to highlight sustainability, healthy eating, world cuisines, and regional comfort foods. We serve discriminating customers several times a day. And we take food seriously, believing that great dining programs can enhance campus life and help colleges attract good students.

Since this is the first time anyone has put together a guest-chef series based on The Princeton Review’s Best Campus Food ranking, we weren’t sure how our peers would accept our invitation. Because of limited production space, we also knew we couldn’t invite more than four schools to the event. So we were thrilled when we received positive responses.

It is a privilege to feature all five universities in one venue. Our students will be thrilled with the variety, flavors, and quality of the food. I’m looking forward to seeing my peers and sampling this year’s “Best of Campus Dining.” I hope to see you there as well!

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

First things first: Starting last Sunday, UMass Dining hosted the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) Northeast Region conference. With nearly 400 attendees, most of whom were NACUFS members and guests, the event had record turnout. Part of the reason for the popularity was this year’s topic, “Healthy Kitchen, Happy Customers.” Large foodservice operations have more of a responsibility to provide healthy choices than in the past, and the best ideas should be shared with peers.

Conference participants took part in hands-on workshops and the opportunity to work with chefs in the kitchen. Attendees also observed the day-to-day workings of UMass dining, the second largest campus dining operation in the nation. The feedback from conference guests about our campus was overwhelmingly positive, and many applauded the innovation, quality, and variety of our food and services. They also complemented our sustainability efforts, including our permaculture garden. Many of the concepts in our dining program are pioneering efforts, and we always love sharing what UMass dining is all about.

Right after wrapping up the conference Wednesday morning, we were off and running another major event. I traveled to the White house with the chancellor, the vice-chancellor, and 15 students and volunteers who worked on the permaculture garden. We made the trip to attend the Champion of Change event, a White House initiative that awards community innovation. Although we were tired from all of the activity from earlier in the week, we looked forward to touring the White House, seeing the President, and receiving recognition for our permaculture garden project the next day.

After passing a series of security checkpoints, we took self-guided tours of the White House Thursday morning. The East Wing rooms were grand and intimidating. Everywhere we looked there were friendly though serious secret-service agents. I couldn’t help mentioning to them that UMass has hosted former White House Chef Roland Messier on campus numerous times. But the highlight of the tour was the unexpected appearance of the first family’s dog, Bo, as he strolled along the corridors of the east wing while we were looked at various White House photos.

The Champion of Change event took place that afternoon next door in the Eisenhower Building. The room was not that large, and by the time we arrived it was already filled with guests. We chatted with honorees from other universities and took several pictures. The students all were very excited to talk about their projects and everyone expressed how happy they were to be invited to the event. Ronnie Cho, the associate director, Office of Public Engagement first introduced the honorees, then President Obama, and the room erupted with applause. The mood felt electrifying, especially as nearly everyone seemed to have turned their cell phone cameras on. What a scene.

President Obama congratulated UMass and other campus honorees for entrepreneurship and the desire to make the world a better place. He also warned students that even though setbacks can occur and that change can be slow in coming, they must be persistent and continue to take risks. In closing, he said the world will be a better place because of our desire to bring about change.

Just being invited to the White House with our students made me feel like the luck of the Irish was on my side. What a memorable experience – I am so proud that UMass is indeed a champion of change!

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

For more information on Champions of Change Challenge event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut_9cWW9j5s

What an honor! We are all so excited at UMass. Ryan told me that he did not sleep too well the night after he received the call.

Over the past two years, the UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative engaged more than 1,000 students, faculty, staff and community volunteers to transform a ¼-acre grass lawn in front of the Franklin Dining Commons into a diverse, edible, low-maintenance garden that supplies fruit, nuts, vegetables, greens and flowers to the Dining Commons. This year they started a second permaculture garden beside Berkshire Dining Commons. It is a unique and cutting edge sustainability project.

Billed as “from lawn to an ecological garden in 9 months,” the Permaculture Garden is a student-led initiative, supported by the university including the Chancellors Office, under the supervision of Auxiliary Enterprises and has become a topic of national interest in certain circles. I am so proud of the students and lucky to be part of it all.

Right now we need your vote online, before midnight the Saturday, March 3 deadline; to be selected as one of the top five programs.  The top five teams will be invited to the White House on March 15, and will be featured on mtvU and MTV Act, hosting an episode of mtvU’s “The Dean’s List.”.

As I am writing now, we are comfortably ahead in the vote count, but there are many great contenders out there. UMass Permaculture is the only finalist that is devoted to sustainability, volunteerism, building community and creating change to better the community.

Please vote to bring UMass Permaculture to the White House and to millions of individuals! We need your help more than ever! Simply click the link below and vote (up to 3 times) for “UMASS Amherst Permaculture Initiative”!

http://campuschallenge.uservoice.com/forums/148562-campus-champions-of-change-challenge

For more information on UMass Permaculture http://www.umasspermaculture.com/

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

Susan Spicer, an acclaimed New Orleans Chef (and former Amherst resident), is coming to UMass for two events. On March 8, Chef Susan will prepare five entrées for dinner at Berkshire Dining Commons as part of our guest chef series. The following day, she will offer a four-course menu at the Campus Center Auditorium for the Department of Music and Dance’s fundraising event,  “New Orleans @UMass.”

In the culinary world, everyone has heard of Chef Susan. She is the author, with Paula Disbrowe, of Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer’s New Orleans (Knopf). She also has owned several restaurants, including Bayona, which has ranked among the top 5 restaurants in the New Orleans’ Zagat Guide since 1995. Chef Susan was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America in 2010. In 2009, she appeared on Bravo TV’s Top Chef.

I always have admired Chef Susan’s talent. I visited Bayona several years ago during a conference and remember how vibrant, colorful, and flavorful the dishes were. Chef Susan, who began cooking in New Orleans as an apprentice to French Chef Daniel Bonnot, emphasizes that she does not specialize in creole, Cajun or traditional New Orleans cuisine. Rather, she makes New Southern cuisine, which focuses on using local ingredients and freshening up the classics with new, flavorful combinations. Last year, I returned to Bayona and met Chef Susan to discuss plans for this year’s event (what a good excuse). I also, of course, sampled several of her dishes; it was a tasty task.

Planning for these two events at UMass started a year ago. Jeff Cox, chair of the music department, approached UMass Dining about coordinating a New Orleans theme fundraising event. He thought of getting Chef Susan involved, since he had grown fond of her cooking during the 17 years he spent as a professor at the University of New Orleans. What a great idea! It was also an excellent opportunity to partner with another department on campus and share resources for an even better event.

On March 8, our students and guests are going to enjoy the food prepared by Chef Susan. The menu will incorporate regional Southern ingredients with bold flavors (crayfish beignets with brandied tomato sauce, jalapeño-roast pork, Gulf Coast bouillabaisse, “Cajun-style” chicken breast with maque choux and shrimp, cornbread and andouille stuffing, to name a few). We will use as many local ingredients as possible.

On March 9, the “New Orleans @UMass” event will feature shrimp remoulade with Madeira cream and wild mushrooms, pork grillades with peppers, New Orleans Italian salads, café au lait pot de crème and sweet bread pudding with praline sauce. We’ll have music performed by New Orleans-based Washboard Chaz Blues Trio as well as the award-winning UMass Jazz Ensemble. The combination of music, food, culture, and community will be a recipe for a delightful night and a great way to experience the spirit of New Orleans close to home. I can’t wait to see you there.

Event details:

The event at Berkshire DC, March 8^th, is open to the public for $12.50 per person, $10 for the university community, and free to students on the meal plan.

You may obtain tickets for New Orleans @ UMass on March 9^th, by calling (413) 545-2511 or visiting www.umasstix.com/musicanddance. This fundraising event hosted by the Music and Dance Department will be held at the Campus Center Auditorium.  (Act now, the tickets are going fast.)

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

Last week, we had the honor of welcoming 11 chefs from five Canadian universities. This is our second time hosting an event focusing on Canadian cuisine—and this year we invited one more university to participate.

The chefs hailed from McGill University in Montreal as well as Western Ontario University, Waterloo University, University of Guelph, and University of Saskatchewan, all of which are in the province of Ontario. At UMass, the Canadian chefs showcased their students’ favorite dishes as well as regional specialties. They also focused their menus on sustainability and healthy eating.

The chefs arrived two days before the event and began applied their talent with no reservation, creating what turned out to be quite the culinary extravaganza. They produced a repertoire of regional dishes that rivaled some of the best meals ever served on our campus. Each university produced two main entrées, three side dishes, and a dessert and each was given a station from which to display and serve their food. There were about 35 dishes in all, such as Ontario smoked duck with pear salad, balsamic-and fig-braised prairie beef short ribs, flaxseed- and sesame-crusted steelhead trout, maple-barbecue pulled pork, Geschnetzelte chicken, cipaille (a traditional layered meat pie from Quebec), grilled Canadian salmon, poutine, and French-roasted root vegetables, to name a few.

To kick off the evening, four Mounties in red (or, actually, four UMass students in costume) greeted students and visitors. After the singing of the Canadian and US national anthems and a brief welcome from university administrators, everyone relaxed into an evening of warm hospitality, upbeat music and delicious fare. Having all of these wonderful dishes on offer in a single evening was rare, and I could not resist the opportunity to sample as many items as possible. The dishes were not only authentic and delicious but also rivaled some of the food prepared in the best restaurants in Canada. As the chefs kept busy explaining to the students what their dishes were all about, a heartwarming scene unfolded at the Berkshire DC.

What did the students think about the event? One junior called the event “an eye-opening experience,” while another student posted on our UMass Dining Facebook page that it was “honestly the best meal” she had ever tasted at UMass.

The visiting chefs were equally happy with the results. “It’s a remarkable feat to have organized an activity with five Canadian universities but even more so to have done it at UMass and not somewhere in Canada,” commented Oliver de Volpi, the executive chef of McGill University.
I was so proud at how well received our guests were and how much our students enjoyed having them here. A special thanks goes to the hardworking staff and managers at Berkshire who assisted our guest chefs.

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

Although I had never been to New Mexico (the Land of Enchantment, says the state motto), I had heard about its natural beauty and its Mexican-, Spanish-, and Native American-influenced cuisine. Upon arrival, I enjoyed a green chile cheeseburger from a quick-service restaurant across the street from the hotel. What a treat: it was flavorful and delicious, and the chiles didn’t overpower the burger at all. Later at the symposium, I learned that some of the best chiles in the world grow in the fertile fields along the Rio Grande and Hatch River.

The symposium was an intense, two-and-a-half-day whirlwind. After a food historian talked to us about the state’s famous chiles, we jumped into a series of roundtable discussions, a workshop, and a dozen peer-to-peer discussions. The symposium culminated with a presentation on the business management strategy Six Sigma.

Facilitated by two of NACUFS’s exemplary leaders, Tim Dieter of Villanova and Julaine Kiehn of the University of Missouri, the peer-to-peer discussions were the highlights. During the discussions, we talked about topics affecting our industry candidly, and we listened and learned from one other. Even though every school is different, it was fascinating to hear what works and what doesn’t for others.
Here are 6 topics that especially caught my attention:

1. As the number of students from Asian countries continues to increase, the demand of Asian foods is also rising. For instance, the University of Illinois is seeing interest in Korean food and the cuisines of Southeast Asia grow among students. UCLA just opened its first Pan Asian-themed residential dining facility. And back home at UMass, sushi and stir-fry are now more popular than chicken fingers.

2. Foodservice directors continue to purchase more ingredients locally, including beef, pork, chicken, and eggs. Some are starting to grow their own produce. UC Santa Barbara, Ferrum College, and Wooster College all offered examples. Our own UMass’s permaculture garden also has a great story to tell.

3. To control costs and reduce food waste, more schools are eliminating trays in the cafeterias. UC Riverside even posts the food waste per person per meal every week in each dining commons. When UMass went trayless two years ago, we saw food waste drop by 30%.

4. Since most of the dining operations of NACUFS members need to be financially self-sufficient, every school has to find creative ways to increase revenues to sustain and enhance their programs. This means providing more value to our customers through catering, meal plan reconfiguration and program enhancement, as well as offering premium menus. What works varies widely at each university. The University of Connecticut only offers an unlimited dining meal plan in which students can eat as often as they choose. In contrast, at UMass we offer both unlimited plans and other options including the commuter plan, free Friday dinners at the DCs, and dining at the University Club in the evenings.

5. Convenience stores and food trucks are increasing in popularity. To meet the demand of students looking for more quick grab-and-go options, schools with large commuter populations are adding C-stores and/or purchasing food trucks. For example, Michigan State University combined its residential and retail operations under one department. That’s how we run our retail and residential operations, too. In addition, our BabyBerk Food Truck provides convenience and excitement for customers—not to mention great food at a great price.

6. And finally, there was a lot of talk about marketing and telling your story. Ohio State University recommends developing marketing strategies and measuring their results to determine effectiveness. In other words, good marketing must be able to increase revenues and customer satisfaction. Back at UMass, guest chef series and weekly specials generate greater attendance at meal time while providing excitement.

I was glad to be part of the NACUFS-led discussions—there is so much we can learn from one another. In the end, it’s all about putting students first and taking good care of them.

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong

1. Stealth health is part of the daily offering.
Rates of obesity and diabetes are increasing at an alarming rate in America. More than ever, our students are demanding that food not only taste good but be good for them. During our recent survey last fall, more than 73% of our students wanted more healthy choices. Most schools already offer healthy choices, including “stealth health” programs in which food is made healthier behind the scenes. Stealth health opportunities include reducing sodium, serving more vegetables and whole grains and promoting healthy eating. Operators of College Dining programs can take leading roles in implementing healthy programs.

2. Food trucks are the next mega trend.
Curbside mobile cuisine served from our own food truck, Baby Berk, has generated so much excitement on campus that we are looking into purchasing another one soon. The secret of success is serving simple great food and providing exemplary customer service.

3. Noodles, noodles and more noodles.
From udon to pho, our customers cannot get enough of them. Noodles warm your tummy and remind me of the comfort food in Hong Kong, where I was born. We plan to have our chefs hand-pull noodles right before our guests’ eyes while they dine. In addition, rice noodles have the benefit of being gluten-free.

4. Grow your own food on campus.
You can’t get fresher food than when you grow your own on campus. Not only does it help reduce the carbon footprint but it also builds awareness around where food comes from. Permaculture gardening—cultivating gardens that are designed to ecologically sustain themselves—will become more widespread. It is part of an ecological design for creating sustainable communities and involves people working together to care for the planet.

5. Sustainable seafood is a must.
Serving sustainable fish and shellfish is good for business and good for the environment. What are you waiting for if you are not serving sustainable seafood already?

6. Melamine is out, china is in.
Melamine dishes have been popular in campus dining because they are lightweight, practical and unbreakable. But with growing concern about whether the presence of melamine in dinnerware could pose a safety risk, schools such as UMass are switching back to china dinnerware. It is the right thing to do.

7. Simple food, healthy eating.
Our customers want comfort food that is simply and freshly prepared and food that is less processed. This requires creating healthier dishes with a plenty of flavor and finding ways to incorporate locally produced, seasonal foods.

8. Late-night dining is second nature.
Students have a different lifestyle than most of us. We notice that students use late-night meals as a way to treat themselves, to meet their friends and to build community. At UMass, 30% of students dine from 9:30 p.m. to wee hours of the morning.

9. Coffee has to be good.
Students want high-quality coffee that is freshly ground and freshly brewed and made in front of them. If the coffee is organic and shade-grown, even better.

10. Campus Dining has become a place to shop, to eat and to be entertained.
Eataly in New York City is the largest artisanal Italian food marketplace in the United States. It includes a retail center for Italian delicacies, a culinary educational center, and a diverse selection of boutique eateries. After witnessing the success of Eataly, I think we are ready for a food superstore on campus.

This is Ken Toong. Thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.

Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu

You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong