Tulane partner, Aramark, brings new chapter and options to campus dining experience

New Orleans cuisine, Twisted Tacos and more tasty options are all on the table as Tulane University welcomes Aramark Collegiate Hospitality as its new dining partner this fall. The partnership brings the overall residential dining experience to the next level, expanding food options and creating workforce development opportunities for staff. It also brings a new name to Tulane Dining: Tulane Hospitality.

“After an extensive and competitive process, we feel Aramark can bring our vision of culinary excellence to a new level,” said Patrick Norton, senior vice president, chief operating officer and treasurer at Tulane.

“We are thrilled to have Aramark as our new dining partner,” Brian Johnson, associate vice president for campus operations at Tulane, said. “This partnership will bring a reinvestment to the Tulane community’s dining experiences as well as bolstering our dedicated dining workforce.”

At the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life (LBC), new restaurants are available for students, faculty and staff to enjoy including NONY’s, which opened in early August, offering sandwiches, wraps and muffulettas with kosher deli meats and ingredients. 

Eight new Grub Hub kiosks where students, faculty and staff can order and pay for their food are other new additions to LBC dining. In addition to the kiosks, diners are still encouraged to utilize the traditional GrubHub app on their phones to place orders for pickup ahead of time. After diners place an order at the kiosks, they will receive a text when the order is ready for pickup. The kiosks have been added to relieve congested areas in the LBC and reduce wait times, according to Joey Schulz, the south region marketing director at Aramark.

Open to Tulane faculty and staff this fall, the 1834 Club on the second floor of the LBC has been renamed to the 1834 Club by Dook Chase. The revamped space features a redesigned menu by Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase, grandson of New Orleans’ Creole cuisine legend Leah Chase, and offers elevated recipes of New Orleans staples like gumbo, red beans and rice, fried chicken, crawfish etouffee, smothered pork, baked fish and more. Sam Gautreau, marketing manager at Aramark, said a membership or loyalty program for faculty and staff at the club is in the works. 

Shake Smart, an added venue near Lake and River residence halls, offers health-focused shakes, smoothies and acai bowls, “smart toast,” sandwiches, wraps and oatmeal/overnight oats.

Later this fall, Beauxba Tea will open at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, offering a bubble, or “boba,” tea option to students. (Bubble tea is a tea-based beverage mixed with fruit, juices or milk and tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” at the bottom). In the spring, the uptown campus will welcome Twisted Taco, which will feature a variety of delectable tacos, burritos and fajitas. Schulz said the addition of both new venues are the results of student feedback.  

Also opening in the spring will be Quick Eats, the first automated convenience store on the uptown campus. The store, which will be located behind the Small Family Collaboration Hub at Lake and River halls and be open late in the evening hours, will feature grab-and-go meals, a vast snack and beverage selection, frozen meals along with toiletries and personal care items. Guests must scan their Splash Card or credit card to gain entry to shop. Customers can use their own bag or carry out items. No cashiers, scanners or kiosks will be involved.  

In the Dining Room at The Malkin Sacks Commons, food stations have been restructured to provide a more engaging dining experience with detailed signage that reflects the style of cuisine and ingredients in the dish. Additionally, students can submit their own recipes for a chance to have their recipe served to fellow diners. Gautreau said Tulane Dining is also exploring opportunities to bring in local celebrity chefs to utilize the Maestro demonstration kitchen located on the second floor of The Commons.  

In addition to new dining options, through the university’s new dining partnership, Tulane Hospitality staff will have the opportunity to elevate their professional development through training at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). All Tulane Hospitality staff will participate in a two-day training with additional specialty training throughout the year. Staff will learn customer service skills, food prep and kitchen cleanliness, and other hospitality skills to reinforce a positive Tulane dining experience. 

Plans and announcements are also underway for expanded dining options on both the Tulane downtown and Tulane National Primate Research Center campuses. 

Visit the Tulane Hospitality website here.