With more students commuting, seeking off-campus dining options, or feeling disconnected from their institutions, colleges and universities must reimagine how they structure the student experience. The first six weeks of a student’s college journey are critical—if they don’t form strong connections, they are far more likely to leave. Dining, as the most frequented campus space, offers the greatest opportunity to foster engagement and retention.

Nicholas Kristof has argued that if we want to address the mental health crisis among college students, we need to go beyond band-aid solutions. We need to reimagine the college experience as one centered around human connection.¹ This means designing campuses that prioritize communal spaces, investing in dining programs that bring students together, and recognizing that the most important education students receive may not be in the lecture halls, but in the moments they share with one another over meals, coffee, and conversation.

Higher education faces declining enrollment and rising mental health challenges. The key to retention may be hiding in plain sight—dining. Dining is one of the few universal student touchpoints. When designed intentionally, it fosters social connections, emotional well-being, and academic success. Research shows that friendships formed in the first six weeks of college predict long-term retention. Next-gen dining reimagines meal programs as hubs for interaction, transforming them from transactional spaces into community anchors. By investing in dining as a social infrastructure, colleges can boost retention, engagement, and student success—one meal at a time.

Many colleges assume self-operated dining means sacrificing the bulk discounts, rebates, and cost efficiencies enjoyed by large food service providers. But is that really the case? In our latest blog, we break down how self-op programs can leverage Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), direct supplier negotiations, and strategic procurement models to close the pricing gap—without giving up operational control.

Should your campus self-operate its dining program or contract with a food service provider? While self-op offers flexibility and control, it demands strong leadership, financial planning, and operational discipline. At Porter Khouw Consulting, we’ve developed The Porter 10X Self-Op Promises—a framework ensuring self-op dining thrives, not just survives. In this blog, we outline the essential commitments every self-op institution must make for success.

Many colleges and universities struggle to keep retail à la carte food service locations financially sustainable. With high food costs, excessive labor expenses, and price-sensitive students, many institutions are forced to subsidize their dining operations, sometimes by hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Two critical tools—Menu Engineering and Prime Cost Optimization—offer a way to eliminate […]

This blog uncovers the hidden pitfalls of management fee contracts in campus dining and why they often lead to skyrocketing food costs. It reveals how providers, with no financial risk, lack the incentive to control spending
—leading to inefficiencies, inflated pricing, and excessive waste. More importantly, it explores strategic contract shifts that can hold providers accountable, ensuring cost efficiency and financial sustainability for institutions.

This paradox challenges traditional dining hall strategies and highlights the value of stability in food offerings. Instead of overwhelming students with choices, a dependable menu that includes the most popular and familiar items creates a sense of reliability and comfort. This article explores the Variety Paradox and its implications for designing dining programs that truly satisfy student needs.

If your institution is facing declining enrollment, low student satisfaction with meal plans, and rising costs from food service contractors, it’s time to rethink your approach. The good news? By adopting a strategic, student-focused dining program rooted in SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE™, you can recruit and retain more students, build long-lasting alumni connections, and achieve significant financial savings.

A great campus food hall is more than just a place to eat—it’s a hub for connection and well-being. At PKC Design Studio, our blueprint balances operational efficiency with an exceptional dining experience. By combining data-driven design, smart space planning, and SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE™, we create vibrant, future-ready spaces that foster student engagement and success. Stay tuned to discover how strategic food hall design transforms campus life.