All you can eat coming to SWCC

With the end of Southwestern Community College’s current food service agreement expiring on June 30, administration has been looking at new options the past few months. The favorite is Great Western Dining based out of Tipton, Missouri.

SWCC Chief Financial Officer Brandi Shay said Great Western stood out for a number of reasons.

“One of them, and we think this is one of the most important ones, is an all-you-can-eat meal plan format for our dorm students,” Shay said during April’s board of trustees meeting. “They also proposed very affordable meal rates for faculty, staff and non-resident students. They’ll have a self-checkout retail option for when the kitchen is not open.”

Shay said the company is also looking to be active on campus, including providing an annual scholarship for a student and having work-study employment on campus.

Great Western has been in food management business for more than 35 years and specializes in higher education and corporate service. Shay said the company already provides food service for a number of Iowa community colleges, including Iowa Central and Iowa Western.

This relationship with other schools brings about another plus for students. Great Western has given the option for traveling student athletes to use their meal plan at other colleges also using their services. This means if a team is at Iowa Central for the day, they can eat at Iowa Central’s cafeteria using their SWCC credits.

The previous food service agency offered three options for students, ranging from $1,025 to $1,425. With Great Western, there is only one option - 16 all-you-can-eat meals a week for $1,425.

“We feel like it’s going to be a better value for the students,” Shay said. “We want to make sure they’re getting what they need from a nutritional basis.”

SWCC President Lindsay Stoaks said an all-you-can-eat option may also help with students experiencing food insecurity.

“We do have several students on campus who are food insecure, and so we’re hopeful that this will be a positive step in that direction,” Stoaks said. “We do have the Spartan Corner Pantry available, but we really, really like this all-you-can-eat option with good quality food for our students.”

Though there is no set plan yet, the college said there will be options for the community to dine at the Spartan Cafe.

The board unanimously approved a three-year contract with Great Western beginning July 1.

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