Arriving on a bustling college campus can feel overwhelming for students. They crave meaningful connection and the sense of belonging that reassures them and helps them build confidence, but they often struggle with knowing where to begin. How can they meet new people? Where can they form authentic relationships? Will they find others who share their interests?
The good news is that research has repeatedly revealed one of the best places to build a vibrant sense of community on campus, and it’s somewhere most students visit every day: the dining hall. Sodexo’s Student Lifestyle Survey has found time and time again over the years that food is the number one way students engage on campus. A robust dining program should be at the heart of campus life. But creating a dining program that truly fosters connection and serves as a catalyst for belonging requires more than just great food. Today’s students seek experiences and spaces that fit their lifestyles, align with their values and offer flexibility.
Sodexo’s One & All program reimagines the campus dining experience by providing a warm, caring environment that serves as a genuine home away from home where every student feels like they belong. A key element of One & All is the idea of culinary diversity, with plenty of menu variety to meet every preference or need. “Comfort food” doesn’t always mean the same thing for everyone, and it’s an idea that can change over time. We strive to provide dining options that are right for every student, no matter where they come from or who they are. By honoring individual preferences while celebrating shared experiences, we use food as a powerful tool to connect students, spark conversation and promote a sense of community.
Dining experiences for a fast-paced world
One & All is designed to feature modern flavors and craveable foods perfectly suited to today’s students, but serving college campuses also means staying ready to adapt to changing demands. New students arrive on campus each year, of course, bringing their own expectations and perspectives. But with young people, change can happen even faster. What’s popular at the beginning of the semester might be old news before final exams, with a hot new culinary trend quickly taking over.
In addition, students often eat most of their meals on campus, every day, for months or even years. It’s understandable that they may start to get tired of eating the same foods, and it’s no wonder Sodexo’s internal research reveals that 73% of students say variety in the dining hall helps them enjoy meals more. Given the critical role dining plays in student belonging and success, one of the top goals of any dining program should be to keep things fresh and engaging. The Sodexo culinary team is doing just that, leveraging student feedback, data and other insights to ensure campus dining programs align with students’ needs and encourage engagement.
Infusing menus with culinary creativity
One great example is the way we’re enhancing menus to reflect recent culinary trends and student preferences. Our data revealed that students still love traditional comfort foods: pizza, tacos, pasta, desserts and other classics. But they also seek opportunities to try something exciting and new. Sodexo is finding fun, creative ways to blend these two priorities by elevating some of students’ favorite foods with trendy twists and introducing a collection of new dishes.
Pizza is probably the first food that comes to mind when many people think about what college students eat, given its enduring popularity. We’re taking this old standby to the next level with bold house-made sauces and signature recipes, like crispy cupping pepperoni, hot honey drizzle and pesto chicken. And we’re creating a new culinary experience with the “pizzarito,” a burrito and pizza mash-up that features sauce, cheese and toppings rolled up in handmade pizza dough and baked to golden perfection.
We’re also introducing new dishes that reflect recent culinary trends. Today’s students love the idea of “treat culture,” and we’re helping them satisfy their sweet tooth with mouth-watering desserts, such as churro muffins, tahini swirl brownies and inside-out black forest donuts. Global flavors are increasingly in demand, and our new Korean rice bowl delivers an inspired take on Asian fare. Many students seek elevated comfort foods and nostalgic dishes that remind them of meals they enjoyed while growing up. Our new spud bowl meets these needs, featuring crispy tater tots layered with chicken, bacon and customizable toppings.
These innovative dishes align with the needs and preferences of today’s students, who seek comfort but are also interested in being a bit adventurous. One report found that nearly three-quarters of Gen Z consumers are likely to try new cuisines, indicating an interest in discovery and an openness to new experiences.1 But they also love the familiarity of their favorite foods. Students need a dining hall that offers something for everyone, and our updated menus reflect that. As students’ ideas of comfort and exploration evolve, menus must evolve with them.
Another way to ensure that students always find exactly what they want is to find opportunities to serve them something unexpected. A dynamic addition to the One & All resident dining program is the “Dining Moments” initiative, which offers spontaneous culinary innovation and moments of joy that resonate with students. Onsite dining teams can quickly add menu variety or align with a campus-based culinary preference by selecting from a rotating menu of on-trend, highly delectable recipes. From curried rice noodles and French toast burgers to a top-your-own-focaccia plate, students love sampling something extraordinary as part of a dining experience that breaks up the monotony of the daily routine. Student feedback helps dining teams determine which dishes to keep in rotation.
Advanced menu labeling
Many of today’s students prioritize wellness and seek functional foods that support their individual goals. But they sometimes struggle to navigate the complexities of nutrition and wellness or make healthy choices. In 2024, Sodexo found that although 92% of students recognize the importance of a healthy diet, only 21% actively prioritize healthy eating.2
To help students understand the role food plays in overall well-being and empower them to make informed decisions that align with their goals, we’re implementing new menu identifiers to highlight foods that deliver specific benefits. Prominently displayed icons will identify foods that support key wellness areas.
- Build – High-protein foods
- Energize – Foods that fuel
- Regulate – Foods that promote gut health
Sodexo gathered insights from surveys and other feedback to determine which nutritional elements are top priorities for today’s students. The new icons will appear alongside existing icons that denote Mindful, vegan, vegetarian and plant-based dishes, making it easy for students to scan menus and quickly find exactly what they need.
Partnership to support mental health
The new menu identifiers are being developed in collaboration with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW) as part of a larger partnership to support mental health on college campuses by creating welcoming dining environments where all students feel cared for.
Sodexo’s research revealed that, as of 2024, one-third of students had considered dropping out, and mental health concerns were the top reason. Dining staff make meaningful connections with students every day through frequent interactions, which enable employees to notice when a student may be struggling. The central focus of the partnership between Sodexo and NCMW is bringing Mental Health First Aid resources to hundreds of campuses. Training sessions and micro-learnings will help onsite dining teams learn skills for recognizing signs of distress in students who are experiencing mental health concerns and provide appropriate support. Messaging in daily huddles, which are provided to more than 5,000 supervisors at 400 Sodexo partner campuses across the country, reinforce these ideas through tips and reminders. The partnership also aims to reduce the stigma surrounding the need to seek care and improve attitudes about mental health on campuses. It’s one more way we’re working to ensure that the dining hall is a place where students feel welcomed and supported in their home away from home.
Beyond food – campus dining as a catalyst for belonging
At Sodexo, we’re proud of the work we’ve done to create dining programs that meet students where they are and help them on their journey to becoming who they want to be, but we recognize that this work is never truly done. As needs evolve, we will continue finding ways to help campuses leverage their dining programs as tools for authentic connection, community building and meaningful moments of belonging.
To learn more about creating dining experiences that support student success and drive recruitment and retention, check out Sodexo’s recent research report about transforming the campus dining program into a strategic asset that supports student and institutional success.
