Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022
University awarded gold for Daly Dining Hall
by Rachel Stengel '14, '20
Rider Dining earned its second consecutive gold award from the National Association of College and University Food Services. The University received a gold Loyal E. Horton Dining Award in the category of Residential Dining Facility. The award recognizes excellence in residential dining facilities.
“This award is truly a reflection of our dedicated staff who serve the Rider community,” says Mike Reca, vice president of facilities and university operations. “It is an honor to be recognized for the quality of the entire Rider Dining staff’s service yet again.”
Rider's food and dining services are operated by Gourmet Dining. Daly Dining Hall is Rider’s residential dining establishment, offering the largest variety of dining options for students. It features classic grilled, deli and salad bar selections, made-from-scratch pizza and pasta, global cuisines and quick service options. Daly Dining Hall accommodates a number of special diets and multicultural meals, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, Kosher options during Jewish holidays, Halal and Jain. It also offers allergen friendly options, soy-based alternatives and peanut sensitive environments. Daly’s has a teaching kitchen where students can prepare their own meals, an in-house dietician and a station that is free of eight major food allergens.
“To receive an award nationally of this magnitude is an amazing honor, nevermind back-to-back years,” says Anthony Frungillo, executive vice president of Gourmet Dining. “It is truly a testament of the value of a shared partnership and vision of how to best service the community. It has been a passion for all involved with a delicious final destination.”
The Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards are named after a founder and past president of the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS). The association promotes excellence in collegiate dining through educational programming and professional networking.
The awards celebrate exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning and new dining concepts. The winners are broken down into small, medium and large institutions. Rider was recognized as a small institution.
Gourmet has been actively involved supporting on-campus programs that help those in need, such as Meals on Wheels of Mercer County and the Rider Pantry, and contributing to new projects and initiatives, such as the creation of an outdoor deck outside the Student Recreation Center and a recent partnership between Rider and the Philadelphia coffee company Saxbys.