Reber-Thomas Dining Center wins two Grand Prizes for collegiate dining

Liberty University’s Reber-Thomas Dining Center was the Grand Prize winner for Residential Facility of the Year and New Facility of the Year in the 2024 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards, presented during the National Association of College and University Food Services’ annual conference in Louisville, Ky., on July 20.

The center was designated a gold award winner in both categories in June. The winning entries are displayed at the conference, where they are recognized and celebrated during a luncheon and the Grand Prize winners are announced.

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.

Grand Prize winners are selected based on the impact of the student experience, overall impact of the submission based on criteria, and the “wow factor” and achievements in comparison to size of staff, budget, etc. The Grand Prize winners also receive recognition in “Campus Dining Today,” the official magazine of NACUFS.

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.

Liberty and Sodexo staff attended the conference and accepted the award, including Vice President for Auxiliary Services Louis Cambeletta and General Manager of Resident Dining Abraham Zahabi.

Zahabi said they had to submit menus, nutrition programming, communication displays, and events information to qualify for the awards.

“The desire of the Liberty University Dining Services Sodexo and Client team is to provide cutting edge, one-of-a-kind experiences for our customers. It is what I am most proud of and makes me feel deserving of these recognitions,” Zahabi said. “Whether it is cutting-edge technology in equipment and building design, creative menu development, first-rate customer engagement, or experimenting with cooking and service techniques, our team is constantly striving to be different from our peers.”

Cambeletta said winning two Grand Prizes is a testament to the success of the new dining center.

“It was truly an honor to be acknowledged by our peers in the college and university food service community at the NACUFS conference in Louisville, Ky.,” Cambeletta said. “Thanks to the positive feedback from our students, faculty, staff, and guests, we always believed our new dining center was something special. Receiving these NACUFS awards confirms that our dining center is indeed exceptional.”

The Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards are the ultimate professional tribute in college and university culinary arts and celebrate exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning, and new dining concepts. The NACUFS supports collegiate food service professionals by providing programs and resources on best practices, educational programming, professional networking, and more.