ARAMARK Corp.'s grip on the University's dining operations may soon loosen, as University officials are considering contracting a relatively small, regional company to run operations at the East Campus Marketplace.
ARAMARK, whose contract is up for renewal in June, will continue providing food on West Campus, unless the controversial Philadelphia-based company is replaced by another conglomerate. Its replacement would also direct operations on West.
Meriwether-Godsey Inc., a Virginia-based food service company, is being considered for the East Campus job, senior Andrew Wallace, co-chair of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee, and company representatives confirmed Tuesday.
"We're very interested in Duke," said Leslie Phillips, Meriwether-Godsey's director of business development.
Phillips added that her company has been impressed with the University and its dining culture for a number of years.
"I think that the fact that the students are so involved is a wonderful thing," she said.
DUSDAC has been equally impressed by Meriwether-Godsey, Wallace said, noting that the committee appreciated the the regional company's relatively small size.
A larger company may not have the incentive to make Duke a "flagship campus," Wallace explained.
By offering the East Campus management opportunity to a small firm, the University could receive more personalized attention, Wallace said.
"Duke would be a huge opportunity for them," he said of Meriwether-Godsey. "We need to keep the entrepreneurial spirit-that [Director of Dining Services] Jim Wulforst used to talk about-alive."
Wulforst declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of contract discussions.
Although Phillips acknowledged that Meriwether-Godsey may appear less impressive next to the internationally reaching ARAMARK, she noted that her company boasts 20 years of experience in the food service industry.
"We know food, and we're passionate about it," Phillips said.
That sentiment was echoed at Germantown Academy, a 1,122-student day school in Fort Washington, Penn., where Meriwether-Godsey was awarded a dining contract about a year ago.
"They have been excellent," said Larry Kraut, assistant director of finance for the academy.
Germantown had previously employed ARAMARK with extremely unsatisfactory results, Kraut said, noting that the conglomerate "learned nothing."
"It was astounding," he added. "They were less sensitive to our needs and operated very much like a corporate behemoth."
Meriwether-Godsey has ensured that Germantown's dining is as comprehensive as any college dining service, Kraut said.
"We want to focus on teaching kids, and we want the food provider to focus on running the food.... [ARAMARK] just couldn't quite get that picture," he said.
Sophomore Tom Adelman, a Germantown alumnus, had similar recollections of the school's dining under ARAMARK.
"It wasn't my favorite," he said. "The quality definitely left a bit to be desired."
Kemel Dawkins, vice president for campus services, emphasized that the selection process for a new food service provider has just begun. He said any speculation would be "premature."
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