Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State's dining services department is being honored by a professional organization for outstanding achievements in its operation of multi-campus units.
The university recently was selected by the National Association of College and University Food Services for a Loyal E. Horton Bronze Medal in the retail sales/multiple concepts and outlets category for medium-sized institutions. Gold and silver awards went to the California Institute of Technology and State University of New York-Geneseo, respectively.
Schools in the category have enrollments of approximately 9,500-17,500. MSU currently enrolls more than 16,100.
Founded in 1959, the Michigan-based association represents more than 600 institutions of higher education in the United States. Its collective Horton Awards are named for the organization's founder and former president.
"University students are very sophisticated consumers," said Mehrzad M. Netadj, MSU dining services director. "Because they often have a range of choices of where to eat, culinary operations like ours must work very hard to win their patronage year after year.
"Dining Services has some of the most loyal and hard-working employees on campus," he added. "I speak for all at Mississippi State involved in feeding the students, employees and visitors when I say how proud and excited we are to receive this national recognition,"
MSU Dining Services involves eight locations spread throughout the approximately 1,200-acre main campus. They include:
--Perry Cafeteria, the 82-year-old primary operation seating 650 and serving some 3,000 meals each weekday. The distinctive 330-foot-long building features an open interior with Gothic-revival arches supporting the roof and ringed with the national and state flags of students' home places.
--State Fountain Bakery, the smaller--but equally historic--sit-down location in the cafeteria's lower north level that's locally famous for its baked goods, as well as for fresh gourmet coffees and a variety of special gifts selections.
--Gooch's Deli, located in the Roberts Building on the east side of campus and specializing in pizza and other popular comfort foods.
--McArthur Court, serving the McArthur Hall administrative offices, College of Architecture, Art and Design and other west-campus units with daily breakfast and lunch menus --especially its popular hamburgers--as well as full salad and sandwich bars and a selection of snacks, bottled drinks and juices.
--Pegasus Dining Room of the Wise Center, serving the center-based College of Veterinary Medicine and related departments, as well as other academic and research units on the campus' south side.
--Food for Thought, a snack bar in Mitchell Memorial Library offering snacks and drinks, as well as soups, sandwiches, coffee, cappuccinos, and State Fountain Bakery-made donuts.
--Ruby Snack Shop, located in the one-year-old Roy Ruby Residence Hall and also serving occupants of the adjacent and just-opened Bryce Griffis Residence Hall.
The Colvard Student Union food court is the other major component of Dining Services. While the central-campus union building undergoes an extensive renovation and modest expansion, its contracted Chick Fil-A and Subway fast-food operations have relocated to temporary units nearby. They and other commercially owned food outlets will be moved to the facility's first floor when it reopens next year.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional information, contact Dr. Netadj at 662-325-0544 or mnetadj@dining.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.