AT A GLANCE Enrollment: 27, 733 (18,265 undergraduate) Students on Meal Plan: 5,031 Managed FS Volume: ~ $25 million Retail/Voluntary Block Meal Plans: ~ 40% FS Employees: 36 management; 458 hourly Web Site: www.nudining.com Key Employees: Maureen Timmons, director of dining services; Michael Vigna, director of food services and vending operations; Bill Mallon, director of business service (NU); Tim Cooney, resident district manager for Chartwells; Nib Lopes, sr. director board plan and retail operations (Chartwells); Bill Fantasia, sr. director of dining service and concessions (Chartwells); Dan Ferland , executive chef, International Village resident dining. (Chartwells).

A strong testament to the success of any college dining program can be found in the sales it rings up from voluntary meal plans and retail cash purchases. This is especially true for urban schools, where off-campus housing and restaurants are readily available and the perceived value of on-campus meal options must compete with all comers.

Northeastern University, just blocks away from Boston's heavily touristed Back Bay neighborhood, is a case in point. It rings up almost 40 percent of its over $25 million in managed foodservice volume from retail and voluntary block meal plan sales, with participation rates growing year after year.

One of many reasons why can be seen in NU's International Village, a 20,000 sq.ft. dining hall that opened a year ago in its new, 1,200 bed residence hall. The LEED-Gold certified facility operates two 3-Star Certified Green restaurants and is a showcase for the school's residential facilities and its commitment to sustainability.

But even as the Village is new and highly trafficked, it doesn't seem to have detracted from NU's other dining operations, which have received regular attention and upgrades over the years. One of them, Levine Marketplace, remains the highest volume location on campus.

NU's dining program is overseen by two NU co-directors, Maureen Timmons and Michael Vigna. Both began their association with the school as employees of daka, a regional contract services provider that operated NU dining in the 1980s.

A residential transition

Vigna began as a daka assistant manager and had become the company's assistant director at NU after several years with the company. In the mid 80s he was hired by the university to become its in-house contract manager and assistant director of auxiliary services.

Timmons had been a general manager for a regional restaurant chain and then joined daka as a director of quality assurance and training. That led to a role developing dining standards for NU, and two years later, to an invitation from the school in 1996 to work for it directly. That was shortly before the school began planning its major renovation the Stetson East dining hall.

(l. to r.): Chartwells Executive Chef for International Village Dan Ferland; NU FSD Maureen Timmons; Chartwells Sr. Director of Board Plan and Retail Operations Nib Lopes; NU FSD Michael Vigna. Photo: © 2010 Rick Friedman	SUSHI UP AT THE BAR. One of many options at International Village. Photo: © 2010 Rick Friedman

(After daka's contract services group was acquired by Compass in 1997, Chartwell's assumed the contract and has provided the school's dining services since then).

“Mike and I are contract managers, but also internal consultants,” says Timmons. “It is our job to be food and service experts and to make recommendations to the university in terms of dining operations, contract management and facility needs.”

Although responsibilities of the two overlap to some degree, both have major areas of specialization. “We watch out for each other's interests,” adds Vigna.

He manages real estate and facilities, catering, vending and laundry services.

Timmons focuses on construction project management, financial analysis, oversight of several non-Chartwells dining locations, contract administration, marketing of Husky card program and quality assurance.

Continue on next page