BusinessWest & Healthcare News: Business & Health Talk Podcast · Audacy

George O’Brien Interviews with Garett DiStefano, director of Dining Services at UMass Amherst

January 3, 2024·24 min

Host George O'Brien interviews Garrett DeStefano about UMass Amherst's transformation from a low-ranked to top-ranked college dining program nationally. Under Ken Toon's 25-year leadership, the program scaled from basic operations to serving 8 million meals annually to 50,000+ students and staff. Success came not through capital investment alone but through prioritizing staff development, culinary excellence (via a 30-year international chef conference), student community building, and authentic global cuisine. The episode reveals how dining has become a critical student recruitment and retention factor.

As heard by us

A steady look at how campus dining shapes the student experience.

George O'Brien presents the campus dining conversation as a window into how UMass Amherst uses food and cultural awareness to shape student life.

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Why you'd press play

Hear how campus dining can become a real edge in how students choose a college.

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