Chartwells Higher Education: Redefining the College Dining Experience

Chartwells Higher Education is revolutionizing the campus dining landscape by intertwining it with experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. Through strategic partnerships and customized educational experiences, Chartwells is redefining the role of dining services. As the recognized leader in the higher education contract foodservice market, and an operating sector of Compass Group North America, Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services partners with over 320 colleges and universities of all sizes across the United States. Chartwells is proud to help its partners by managing foodservice operations more efficiently and profitably while growing sustainably to help colleges and universities retain and recruit students.

A Commitment to Innovation and Student Success

By fostering collaboration, innovation, and hands-on involvement through initiatives, Chartwells is committed to nurturing student growth and entrepreneurship. Chartwells believes serving healthy and nutritious food provides a foundation for lifelong learning. Chartwells is committed to ensuring that clients and guests receive the highest quality, nutritious cuisine and service they deserve. From global cuisine prepared fresh in dynamic, resident dining venues to favorite retail restaurant brands, event catering, concessions, vending and food trucks, Chartwells ensures that each hungry guest dining on campus is satisfied. As they continue to empower students to make lasting impacts within their communities, Chartwells is not just redefining dining services; they are enriching the overall educational journey.

"Every partnership we build is about more than dining. It's about creating opportunities for students to learn through connection," said Eva Wojtalewski, CEO of Chartwells Higher Education.

IGNITE: A Student-Driven Advisory Board

As the industry's first national student dining advisory board, IGNITE enables students and Chartwells leaders to brainstorm new ideas and concepts related to technology, event programming, mental health initiatives, and more. Chartwells welcomed its largest class ever this year with new additions such as the Brew Tank, which serves as a forum for Chartwells leaders to pitch new innovations and dining concepts for students to refine and evolve in real-time.

Student Success Internships: Building Career Readiness

Offering 10 career focused tracks, this internship program has graduated hundreds of students since its launch in 2017. Many alumni have transitioned into full-time roles with Chartwells and are still here many years later, showcasing investment in long-term professional growth.

"It's incredible to see how far Student Success has come since we first imagined the concept and launched the pilot," said Kristin Frazier, founding member and the program's current Director. "We've built this by truly listening to students, refining, evolving, and strengthening it with their feedback.

Culinary Education in Action

Illinois College Teaching Kitchen Series

With over 270 participants, this program merges hands-on cooking with academic reflection. Students earn convocation credits through participation, which not only supports their progress toward graduation requirements but also helps them develop lifelong, transferable career skills. Incorporating reflection questions, this series reinforces the learning process, fosters self-awareness among students, and connects their culinary experiences to broader health and wellness goals.

Carnegie Mellon University Restaurant Builder Course

This innovative course gives students the opportunity to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life by designing, branding, and launching their own dining concepts. Merging business theory with real-world hospitality operations, the program challenges students to think like restauranters, balancing creativity, strategy, and guest experience. The success of the student-run Capital Grains, a salad and grain bowl dining concept that's in its sixth semester of operation, played a major role in developing this course.

Babson College: Student-Led Roger's Pub & Grille

Roger's Pub & Grille serves as a platform for student entrepreneurship and culinary innovation. Chartwells created a ghost kitchen within the pub to host student pop-ups, giving them hands-on opportunities to bring their food concepts to life. One standout, Desi Eats, a fast-casual, health-focused Indian concept, was developed by a current student through an 18-month collaboration with Chartwells that refined procurement, recipes, marketing, and operations. The semester-long takeover showcased authentic flavors and creativity while providing students with real-world leadership and management experience that extends beyond campus.

Revolutionizing College Concessions

Chartwells Higher Education is transforming college concessions by prioritizing strategic partnerships and unforgettable guest experiences. "Our approach to foodservice extends far beyond traditional dining and campus services," said Eva Wojtalewski, CEO of Chartwells Higher Education. "We are committed to building premier concessions programs that creatively align with each university's spirit and goals and enhance the overall game day experience.

Read also: Key Trends in Education

University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Growing Fanbase

UNC Charlotte's concessions menu features memorable items, including the fan-favorite The Albinator, a cheesy ribeye steak sandwich named after Coach Tim Albin. Chartwells has been a strategic partner throughout the university's growth, providing concessions at all sports events on campus, covering over 250 days per year, and managing a record-breaking crowd of over 19,000 attendees at a football game this year. The concessions program is positioned to scale operations for the upcoming expansion of the football stadium, which will add 3,000 additional seats.

Boise State University's Culinary Innovation

From the beginning, Chartwells has been committed to enhancing the menu and experience at Albertsons Stadium, which boasts its famous "blue turf" field. Fans now enjoy Basque-inspired items, like Elote Corn Dogs and Loaded Chorizo Chili French Fries, along with faster service through modernized concessions stands and grab-and-go options.

Wichita State University's Record-Breaking Events

Less than six months after taking over the school's concessions business, Chartwells quickly established a new standard of operational excellence while managing the country's largest high school track meet. Through seamless planning and execution, including managing four traditional concession stands and 20 mobile beverage, ice cream, and snack carts, the team delivered an unprecedented sales volume while serving over 20,000 visitors for three consecutive days.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Themed Nights

In collaboration with the athletics department, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley team helped to bring themed baseball nights to life, successfully engaging the community and handling tripled guest attendance on specialty evenings. Chartwells transformed a space that had been used only for special events in recent years into a cantina, creating new areas for fans to gather and socialize.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Custom Catering

Chartwells' catering and concessions team supported UW-Whitewater's most ambitious fundraising campaign ever, a $50 million effort, by executing a launch event at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium. Chefs grilled chicken wings in the home team's dugout, while team members staged a hot dog and nachos bar and scooped build-your-own banana split sundaes into mini Warhawk helmets.

Creating a Culture of Togetherness and Inclusion

At Chartwells we create an inclusive culture that celebrates and honors what makes us different and support each otherâs development so that we can all feel empowered to do and be our best. We recognize that campus communities are growing and that we must adapt to the changing needs of students, which is why we encourage our associates to be innovators, giving them the platform to explore their passions, experiment on new ideas and tap into their creativity. No campus is the same, so neither are we. We create community that retains students and builds lasting memories.

I have always believed that âweâ is better than âme.â I learned this very early on in my career when I experienced firsthand the power that is created when individuals accept each otherâs unique differences, include one other, and work together as a team.

Sustainability and Sourcing Practices

We care deeply about our sourcing practices which is why, as part of Compass Group, we are proud supporters of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and the Fair Food initiative. This landmark partnership between Compass Group, the CIW and Fair Food works to positively change the safe working conditions, fair treatment and advancement opportunities for farmworkers who pick our tomatoes. Our sustainability philosophy aligns with the goals of Generation Z. We source locally with on-trend ingredients.

The People Behind the Plates

Feeding hungry minds canât happen without the dedication and hard work of our talented people. While we each have our own stories and our own strengths, we do share a single, common goal: to always be at our best. Whether weâre providing career training or offering advancement opportunities, we empower our associates to pursue careers that ignite their passions and encourage them to create their own stories. Because at Chartwells Higher Education, your passions are our passions, your story is our story, and we are at our best when you are at yours.

For 23 years, Clarice âMs. Reeseâ Reed has served more than meals at Xavier University. Moments that Matter is our short video series celebrating the people who make campus feel like home, and Ms. From âfussingâ at students to bundle up in the cold to helping nervous first-years settle in, her care has shaped the Xavier experience in lasting ways.

Addressing Food Insecurity

With 56% of students reporting challenges accessing food, sustained action matters. Throughout the year, weâre partnering with our teams and campus communities to turn dining into spaces of impact. American Universityâs dining team is putting people and planet first. In partnership with the Food Recovery Network and the Office of Sustainability, their food recovery efforts divert food waste from the landfill to help feed the local community. When food canât be donated, itâs responsibly composted.

tags: #Chartwells #Higher #Education #overview