Less than a year since its grand opening, Liberty University’s Reber-Thomas Dining Center won two gold awards in the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) 2024 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards: New Facility of the Year and Residential Dining Facility of the Year.
The New Facility of the Year award is presented every other year to an outstanding site that opened within the previous two years; the Residential Dining Facility of the Year is awarded to a center that encapsulates the spirit of enhancing the student experience.
The Reber-Thomas Dining Center opened its doors at the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester. Spanning 120,000 square feet over 2 stories, the facility can seat more than 2,700 with both indoor and outdoor seating. The center boasts 27 food stations, including an allergen-free room with delectable gluten-free baked goods. Stations include a variety of foods — from international cuisines to homestyle favorites — so all students can find something that fits their tastes.
Vice President for Auxiliary Services Louis Cambeletta said Liberty had a vision to create an experience for students, faculty, staff, and guests like no other in the industry.
“We wanted a facility where we could host large events while also providing world-class food and service consistently to our students every day,” he said. “We wanted to be able to move students into the facility very quickly as well as decrease the amount of time they would be in line at a station during our busiest hours.”
He recognized the leaders and staff of Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, for the way they adapted to a new space and have continued to provide superb service.
“This facility would not have had the success it had this year if not for the work that Sodexo as an operations team here on campus put into it. They had to come up to speed very quickly on a brand-new facility that is double the size of the one they had come from with new equipment and a new layout. I am so proud of how the team adapted on the fly to all the challenges they faced with this new facility. Liberty University is extremely fortunate to have them as a partner.”
NACUFS will recognize awardees and announce the Grand Prize winner during an awards luncheon at the 2024 NACUFS National Conference on July 20 in Louisville, Ky.
