At the beginning of the school year, University Residences and Dining & Culinary welcomed 17,422 Boilermakers, including a record-setting freshman class, to their homes on the West Lafayette campus. It takes teamwork and cooperation to continue delivering high-quality programs and services at this scale.

Dining & Culinary has risen to the occasion while serving unprecedented numbers of meals in the residential dining courts. During fall 2024, Dining & Culinary served a staggering 2.6 million meals – an 18 percent increase from fall 2023. The number of meals served daily in the dining courts closely mirrors the numbers seen at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.

Serving such a large population takes everyone from the administration to the front of the house. Together, Dining & Culinary teams collaborate to design new menus, maintain recipes and order ingredients, determine staffing needs, and prepare and serve nutritious offerings to the Purdue community.

A single day of service in a dining court on an average day requires an astonishing amount of food and prep work. For example, Wiley Dining Court prepares 20 gallons of fresh pico de gallo every day. Special events and holidays with higher traffic require extra effort to prepare and serve more food, as evidenced by the 5,200 pounds of turkey served during the Thanksgiving meal.

The numbers add up over the course of a semester. During fall 2024, Dining & Culinary served:

• 50,328 donuts
• 139,620 pounds of fries
• 16,000 pounds of guacamole
• 13,227 gallons of ice cream
• 223,560 burgers 

"Our residential dining team worked hard all semester to put students first and make sure they were set up for success," says Cara Powell, director of dining. "No matter the dining court or menu, we want our students  to feel at home. From 50,328 donuts to 139,620 pounds of fries and everything in-between, every meal reflects our dedication to providing great dining experiences. Thank you to our amazing team for making this fall a success!"

To recognize the efforts of staff, Dining & Culinary hosted an annual luncheon where individuals were recognized for their dedicated service and employees gather to celebrate individual and team accomplishments. Staff celebrating milestone work anniversaries received special gifts and recognition in thanks of their service.

True to form, Dining & Culinary decided to prepare the meal for the luncheon rather than having the meal catered - a testament to the ongoing dedication of everyone in the organization. Those involved in preparing the meal pulled out all the stops to provide a five-star caliber meal. 

"In past years, we have catered the meal from an outside vendor so that all staff could be 'off' and enjoy themselves," says Kyla Howard, senior manager for employment success. "While this gesture of catered food was appreciated by the staff, a few team members felt they could use their culinary skills and their passion for serving others to plan and execute a meal that would properly celebrate the accomplishments and hard work of their peers. Members from each court took pride in planning and creating a menu that was thoughtful, high quality and had diversity to represent the needs of their fellow team members—one that really showcased their gratitude to one another."

Even as Purdue’s on-campus population continues to rise, the efforts of Dining & Culinary staff ensure that everyone has a seat at the table.