The Student Caucus is pleased to present a report from TRU Food Services on its work to respond to your concerns and ideas to make eating on campus a better experience. We are further excited to share a new opportunity for the campus community help shape food services into the future!

In the Student Budget Consultation, students identified Food Services as a priority for improvement for two years in a row. Key issues include variety and options; price, value, and food quality; hours of operation, and lines and wait times. Overall, students have expressed frustration and distrust with the system of campus food service itself, and as a result, show a strong desire to explore options for change.

Food Services has worked to respond to your recommendations from the Student Budget Consultation Report 2017/18 and has now provided a report on their progress:

• Recommendation: Introduce market competition to campus food services
  • Local food trucks are allowed on campus – this has included Eats Amore and Happy Camper, with plans for a three-day rotation of three trucks
  • New food providers have been approached to serve in existing campus outlets – this has resulted in an expanded Bento Sushi in the Upper Level Café
  • Independent food providers will be allowed in TRU Community Trust properties in the future
• Recommendation: Audit current food service offerings and address nutritional deficiencies and dietary accommodations
  • Nutritional information is provided on the Food Services website, TRU GO app, and outlet signs
  • New “Chop N Top” service in the Urban Market can accommodate vegans, vegetarians, Halal, and intolerances and allergies
  • Expanded Bento Sushi in the Upper Level Café offers vegan and vegetarian options and accommodates intolerances and allergies
  • The Den’s menu have been revise to improve dietary accommodations
  • The U and M Deli has a rotating menu to increase diversity of offerings
• Recommendation: Extend overall food service hours of operation
  • The Den extended its hours to 10:00PM, Monday to Friday
  • Tim Horton’s extended its hours by 1-2 hours, Monday to Thursday
• Recommendation: Improve the promptness of food service
  • Food Services worked with Tim Horton’s and Starbucks management to increase staffing during hours of peak demand to provide faster service

The Student Caucus has also been working to secure a unique opportunity for the campus community to rethink the future of food at TRU. The vast majority of food services here are provided by one contracted company, and the current contract expires in April 2018. The Hungry for Choice campaign was launched to call on TRU to conduct a full and meaningful campus consultation to shape any new or renewed campus food services contract. With the support of over 1,600 campus community petition signatures, 28 campus group endorsements, and over 80 direct messages to the TRU Board of Governors, the campaign was successful!

Since then, the TRU administration has made the following commitments to the food service consultation:

• Form a Food Services Review Committee and begin the consultation process in February 2018
• Establish a new or renewed long-term contract by April 2019 based on recommendations for improvement or change of provider from the consultation

The Student Caucus will provide updates on the food service consultation as they become available. To receive regular updates, click here to sign up.

To stay up-to-date on all of TRU’s responses to your priorities, check out the Student Budget Consultation webpage!

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 Full TRU Response on Food Services

To see the full response to your priorities on Food Services, click here. 

For more information, contact: