Liberty University unveils national awards banners at new dining center

The Liberty University Reber-Thomas Dining Center unveiled two banners on Monday, the first day of classes for the Fall 2024 semester, to mark its designations as the 2024 New Facility of the Year and Residential Dining Facility of the Year. The awards were announced earlier this year by the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) as part of its 2024 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards. The new dining center won Gold and the Grand Prize in both categories this summer.

The New Facility of the Year award is presented every other year to an outstanding facility that opened within the previous two years; the Residential Dining Facility of the Year is awarded to an outstanding dining facility that encapsulates the spirit of enhancing the student experience.

Before unveiling the banners, Vice President of Auxiliary Services Louis Cambeletta explained the importance of the awards.

“We are here today to unveil some very special dining awards that we wanted to share with all the students,” Cambeletta said. “To put it into perspective, in the college and university dining service industry, winning these awards is equivalent to our football team winning the national championship. That’s how special these awards are.”

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. The dining center also hosts cooking classes and pop-up stations with chefs throughout the year, and students can try new and creative dishes.

Cambeletta thanked the many teams of people who contributed to the award-winning facility, such as the architect team Baskerville, the management team of Sodexo (Liberty’s dining services provider), Liberty’s marketing team, the chefs, and Senior Vice President of Planning and Construction Dan Deter.

“Our founder Dr. (Jerry) Falwell used to say, “If it’s Christian it ought to be better, and these awards are definitely confirmation of that,” he added.

Cambeletta then introduced Liberty President Dondi E. Costin.

“This is a big day because these banners …  speak to teamwork, speak to vision, speak to mission, speak to Liberty’s commitment to making sure everything on this campus, to the best of our ability with God’s help, is in the best possible shape for students. That’s what this is all about,” Costin said. “The (Reber-Thomas Dining Center) is the showpiece of our campus. This is perhaps the best example of pure and sheer teamwork. The fact that we won Best New Facility and Best Facility of the Year simply means we’re number one.”