News & Insights
Photo courtesy of: Greg Land
When a campus dining program falls short, it’s easy to blame operations. But sometimes the problem starts with the agreement itself. We sat down with B&D’s resident dining expert, Chet Roach ahead of his presentation at NACAS C3X 2026. In his interview, Chet unpacks how dining contracts are (more often than not) the problem, and what institutions should consider before their next renewal.
B&D: When a university develops problems with their dining program, how can they tell whether the cause is caused by day-to-day operations or the contract itself?
Chet Roach: Honestly, when I’m advising clients, I tell them to start with a bigger question: Is your dining program helping your institution accomplish what it wants to? When we work with an institution that’s underwhelmed with its dining program, in almost every case, we find that the foundational contracts are simply not designed to support whatever it is that the institution is trying to do. The contract isn’t the end-all, be-all, but without an excellent agreement, the chances of having an effective dining program are almost zero.
B&D: These dining contracts often in place for years. Are they keeping up with what campuses need today?
CR: Honestly, no. In most cases, the dining contract was written for a world that simply no longer exists. COVID triggered what was effectively a universal renegotiation of dining agreements. Assumptions about how many people would be on campus, live in campus housing and participate in meal plans all changed.
Many institutions are still operating under agreements built around those circumstances, even though the world has changed again. The challenge now is protecting dining programs from risk while maintaining the right level of control.
B&D: In your NACAS C3X presentation, you make the case that incentives drive behavior. How can institutions make sure they’re rewarding the right things?
CR: First, you have to be clear about what success looks like. This will look different for everyone, but start with what you want your students to do, feel, and prioritize when they’re on campus. Once you’ve figured that out, then you can build an agreement that encourages settingr dining partner to support those goals. That means identifying clear, measurable goals and tying financial rewards or penalties to how well your partner meets them. The right combination will depend on the institution.
B&D: If a dining contract is approaching renewal, where should an institution start?
CR: Start by answering three questions: What do we want dining to contribute to campus life? Whwat should we expect from a competitive agreement today, both financially and in the quality of the dining program? And how do we find the right partner to make that happen?
That could mean optimizing the agreement with your current provider, or it could mean inviting others to compete for the contract. The important thing is to define what you want from dining before choosing how you’re going to get there.
Thank you to Chet for his participation in Ask the Expert. Interested in learning more? Request access to the deck from his presentation at NACAS C3X below.
Ask the Expert is written and produced by Allison Bruns. Big thanks to Chet Roach for his participation. If you have a topic you’d like an expert to cover in a future issue, submit them here.
