Several campus dining projects our team contributed to have been recognized in the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) .
The annual awards celebrate industry excellence, focusing on menu selection, operational presentation, and facility design.
West Texas A&M University – Gold Award for Renovation of the Year
West Texas A&M University, in partnership with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, earned the Gold Award for the multi-phase renovation of its primary dining facility, “The Caf.”
Tipton served as architect on the project, which relied on student focus groups to guide the design choices for the $3 million upgrade. Key features of the renovated space include:
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Batch-Cooking Infrastructure: Updated equipment supporting small-batch production for optimal freshness.
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True Balance Station: A dedicated, self-contained kitchen space designed to prevent cross-contamination by eliminating the top nine allergens from its menu.
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Teaching Kitchen: A flexible station used for chef demonstrations and rotating seasonal menus.
Our team also served as dining/foodservice consultants on two additional award-winning campus facilities:
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC): We collaborated with the university and Biloba Architecture on programming, planning, and foodservice design and specifications for the Upper Prospector Dining Facility, which was honored for its operational flow and station optimization.
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Mississippi State University: We served as foodservice consultant to Mackey Mitchell on the Azalea Hall project, creating within this new residential faiclity a food-hall experience with customization opportunities and late-night access.
Collaboration and Project Success
Successful campus dining projects require strong alignment between universities, food service providers, and design partners. We appreciate the opportunity to work alongside the teams at West Texas A&M, UNCC, and Mississippi State University to deliver functional, high-performing spaces for their campus communities. View all award winners here.