News for campus dining leaders: meal plan changes, self-op and contractor decisions, student workers, new concepts, robotics, mobile ordering and retail dining on campus. 44 stories, newest first, each with why it matters and a link to the original source.
Chartwells Higher Ed's Joe Labombarda says college students are embracing global flavors, protein and fiber-rich foods at breakfast.
The National Restaurant Association reports the Producer Price Index for all foods rose 0.6% from August to September after two monthly declines, driven by fresh vegetables (+36.9%), fresh fruit, seafood, beef and veal (+2.6%) and wheat flour. Prices were still 2.6% below September 2025 but 34% above February 2020. Year over year, fresh vegetables (+17.8%), fats and oils, flour and fruit were up, while eggs (-75.3%), butter, pork, processed poultry and cheese were down.
Ricoh USA will support deployment and ongoing service of Hyphen's automated makeline through its RICOH Service Advantage program. Hyphen says the makeline produces more than 200 meals an hour from digital orders.
A multiyear deal makes ColdSnap machines, which turn shelf-stable pods into ice cream, smoothies and protein shakes in about two minutes, available through 365's operator network for workplaces, hospitals and campuses. The machines need no freezer storage, plumbing or cleaning.
Fiber mentions on social media rose 66% and engagement more than doubled to 5.4 million, per Datassential's Social Listening Quarterly report. Protein still leads, with mentions up 57% and chain launches carrying protein callouts up 245% in the first half of 2026. Fiber's growth comes from hearty, center-of-plate cooking such as savory oatmeal and cabbage stir fries, not health-food framing, and Datassential says better menu labeling and callouts could connect diners to fiber-rich items.
At the FSM Summit (Oct. 4-6, Arizona), a panel of senior living, education and hospitality operators described investments that paid off in savings, production capacity and staff retention, and others that cost more than promised. One operator credited AI-driven inventory and procurement software with substantial food and labor savings, but only after several vendors overpromised.
The University of Kentucky ended its 12-year dining contract early and moved to a new provider, which put $55.5 million toward the buyout and may invest up to $95 million in new dining facilities. UK will repay the capital over the life of a roughly 30-year contract.
Ohio State Dining is working with its student health center to have Grubhub rovers deliver health products during cold and flu season. The idea came from pharmacy students in an entrepreneurship program.
Through October, Taco Bell is featuring three celebrities' go-to orders, each available for one week at $4, with $1 offers on Tuesdays in its app, per Nation's Restaurant News. Each bundle uses existing items, such as a Beef Burrito Supreme, Crunchy Taco and medium fountain drink.
A Princeton Review and Sodexo survey of 82 colleges, run May through August, found digital menu boards and campus-ID integration at 94% of respondents, contactless payment at 87% and mobile ordering at 84%. Fewer offer on-campus delivery (22%), robot delivery (10%) or AI-powered menu personalization (9%). Gaps remain in low-sodium (52%), kosher (29%) and Jain (10%) options, while 89% track food waste.
Penn State Brandywine's Blue Apple Café now serves halal build-your-own bowls ordered at kiosks, and sales have been strong. Students pick rice or greens, chicken, beef or falafel, a dozen toppings and multiple sauces, all meeting halal requirements. Director of housing and food services Elizabeth Kearns said the aim was to make former exceptions into standards; the bowls are also popular with athletes and other students for their high protein. Brandywine is the fourth Penn State campus to offer halal dishes.
Datassential's 2027 Trends Report names Mexico City (CDMX) as the cuisine to watch and buldak, doubanjiang, falooda and kinilaw among emerging flavors. New Classics now include whipped feta, chili crisp, sticky toffee pudding, hibiscus and dirty soda, while banana, anchovy, mango, deli salads and the old fashioned are getting new life in fresh applications. The firm says 75% of consumers are looking forward to new food and beverage trends.
Avride and Sodexo Campus signed an agreement meant to move partner colleges from interest to robot delivery in weeks rather than months. Sodexo Campus serves about 425 U.S. institutions, and Avride already runs at Ohio State, Indiana, Arizona and Salisbury.
Toast's new AI team includes a Scheduling Agent that builds schedules from availability, forecast sales and overtime risk. Toast says beta users averaged 41% fewer overtime hours per employee; pricing starts at $60 a month plus $9 per employee per month.
A restaurant purchasing co-op built 20 AI agents that continuously monitor pricing, commodities, food safety incidents, distributor fill rates and freight. One flags any price change above 5%, and its findings are checked against the co-op's existing data platforms.
Common Route released five AI agents that help operators find products and manufacturers, develop recipes from their own menus and pantry, and write innovation briefs for suppliers. The company says data users share is not used to train AI models.
After Starship pulled its more than 1,200 robots from U.S. campuses in June, Purdue Food Company is bringing in Avride robots through Grubhub, with an official launch planned for this winter.
Robot.com now operates on more than 20 campuses through Grubhub Campus. At Loyola Marymount, order volume grew nearly 70% quarter over quarter. DoorDash is buying Grubhub Campus Delivery for $300 million.
College dining programs ran food-focused welcome weeks with cookouts, s'more kits and BBQ tie-dye events, combined with meal-plan education for returning students.
Alabama State University's dining RFP covers a 10-year contract starting Aug. 1, 2027, with about 2,695 students estimated on meal plans. Proposals are due Nov. 9, 2026.
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