Food Services

Auxiliary Services welcomes Richard “Rick” Leonardo as Executive Chef for Syracuse University Campus Dining. Leonardo’s culinary path began in his teenage years, when he worked at his family’s Central New York restaurant. He received his culinary degree from The French Culinary Institute in New York City, then honed his skills working with the Daniel Boulud Restaurant Group. He returned to Central New York to work as an executive pastry chef, then found his passion in collegiate dining with American Dining Creations, where he has spent the last 10 years developing menus for 29 colleges and universities.

Read on to learn more about his goals and initiatives:

What inspired you to become a chef?

Leonardo: My father was a chef and owned a family business, so I grew up learning the trade. When I wasn’t in school or playing sports, I was working in the business. It just kind of stuck with me.

Are you excited to be part of the Syracuse University team?

Leonardo: My wife and I grew up under the shadow of the Dome, loving Syracuse sports and everything that Central New York has to offer. We both have a lot of roots in Syracuse, so I am happy to be able to raise my family here.

What goals have you set for the dining program at Syracuse University?

Leonardo: I want to elevate the food on campus, especially in the dining centers. I want students to come in to eat, not just because they have to, but because we offer the food they are looking to eat.

How will you reach the goals you’ve set for the dining program?

Leonardo: My team and I will do a lot of market research to get a better idea of what is currently trending in the food industry. I’ll work with our purchasing agents, cooks, dining center managers, and in-house nutritionist to find ways to bring these foods to our dining centers.

Most importantly, we plan to really listen to students’ ideas for new menu items. I plan on being a regular presence in the dining centers, so students recognize me and hopefully feel comfortable talking to me about their dining experiences.

Students can also look for more tasting events where we will share new foods. We’ll ask for feedback on what works and what doesn’t. We started doing this in the fall semester, and it was very helpful.

This January, we are holding hands-on trainings with the dining staff on seasoning, different techniques and cooking methods, and food display. I’m also forming weekly cooks’ meetings where we will dive deeper into methods and recipe creation for authentic foods based on student requests.

Is there something that students can look for right away?

Leonardo: We have added more fresh vegetables into the daily menu. As we continue to rewrite recipes, I would ask students to look for new, modern flavors and foods with enhanced seasoning. To add a bit of fun to the regular menu, we are planning weekly pop-up events in our dining centers. These pop-ups will feature unique concepts and will be in a different dining center every day, Monday through Friday. If you enjoy a particular pop-up, you can follow it around to the different dining centers. Also, we will provide a wide variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

What about long-term goals?

Leonardo: I would like to have more student-facing opportunities, such as food samplings and possibly a “Chef Table” where I can teach students how to make their own dishes. The possibilities are out there, and I am excited to lead the way. As I continue working with students to get a better understanding of their needs, I will be able to fine-tune what these student-facing opportunities will look like.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Leonardo: I truly enjoy my family time. In my previous job, I was traveling constantly and felt like I was missing seeing my children grow up. I jumped at the chance to continue working in collegiate dining, stay in Central New York, and have more opportunities to spend time with my family.

Matthew Werth began his tenure as the new director of Campus Dining at Syracuse University in fall 2023. His charge is a simple one: Meet the dining needs of today’s college students. 

His responsibilities will include residential dining (the University’s five all-you-can-eat dining centers), retail dining (the University’s 14 cafes, SUNY ESF dining, and three convenience stores), and athletic dining, which is focused on the specific nutrition and performance needs of all student athletes. 

The guiding principle behind all of his work will be to take a student-centric approach to all aspects of Campus Dining. He’ll enhance student employment inside the department – Campus Dining has long been one of the largest employers of students on campus. Werth will seek out student “food ambassadors” to tell the story behind the University’s dining efforts. He’ll continue his predecessor’s work with the Food Services Accountability Committee, to hear regular, direct feedback from students about the food choices available to students. And he will oversee the department’s work with the Food Recovery Network, a student-run organization that works to collect unused food from dining centers and distributes it to local agencies serving Central New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity. 

Werth joins Syracuse fresh from Penn State University and the University of Iowa, where he held key operational roles in Big Ten dining programs. His breadth of experience: food service leadership, restaurant management, and hospital dining administration, will assist his transition at Syracuse as he begins to guide the roughly 400 employees of the Campus Dining unit who comprise culinary operations at the University. Up first will be to review campus menus, modernize dining concepts to introduce a greater range of international flavors, and to build relationships across campus to gain insight into the culinary needs of the campus community. 

Werth is well-versed in another issue of increasing importance in campus dining: crafting menus and options for students with special dietary needs. During his time at the University of Iowa, he collaborated with the campus registered dietitian to establish “Thrive,” a food concept focused on creating dishes without the Top 9 allergens or gluten. The concept focused on creating healthy, sustainable food for students with allergens, and designing an inclusive dining experience for all students.  

“Matt’s history of high culinary standards combined with his track record of success at institutions of higher education made him the perfect fit for Syracuse University,” said Cheryl Fabrizi, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services. “The to-do list in Campus Dining is long, but Matt will be the change agent the University needs to deliver on its high standards.” 

The campus community and guests are welcome back to the Inn Complete. The University’s former ski lodge is open and is ready to provide students, faculty and staff another quick and delicious lunch option, without leaving campus.

The Inn Complete is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for an all-you-care-to-eat lunch buffet, featuring sandwiches, salad, soup, dessert and a hot entree of the day. The buffet costs $16.30 and includes water, tea and soft drinks. Credit cards, Dining Dollars and ‘Cuse Cash are accepted. Students with a meal plan (block or unlimited) may also choose to utilize one meal swipe for the buffet.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Over the summer, Auxiliary Services and Campus Planning, Design, and Construction overhauled the dining area at the Goldstein Student Center on South Campus. Now christened Goldstein Food Hall, the brightly-lit new space reopened to customers on Sunday, Sept. 3.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

On Wednesday, July 12, Auxiliary Services welcomed Chef Jeff Dover to its Campus Dining team as the unit’s first-ever Associate Director of Athletic Dining. Dover comes to Syracuse after a lengthy career at Pennsylvania State University, which saw him rise from student-athlete to chef to general manager.

Chef Dover will be based in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, which is currently undergoing a multi-phase renovation to create a state-of-the-art academic and athletics village for the University’s 600 student-athletes. After the completion of the complex entranceway in February 2023, the next phase of construction, already underway, will include a new football operations center and a “One Team” Olympic sports center.

When construction is complete, student-athletes will have access to new fueling and performance nutrition spaces, alongside a new cafeteria and dining center, greatly expanding the footprint of dining and nutrition at the Lally Complex.

“This is the perfect moment to develop and launch a new, focused athletic dining program” said Cheryl Fabrizi, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services. “As new facilities come online at the Lally Complex, Athletic Dining, led by Chef Dover, will provide a comprehensive, next-level dining program for all of our student-athletes.”

Dover will work closely with the performance nutrition team in the Athletics Department. Under his direction, Athletic Dining will craft menus based upon the different nutritional needs, tastes, and preferences of individual student-athletes and their coaches, trainers, and teams throughout the year – in-season, training, and pre- and post-game. Dover will strive to incorporate food industry trends and the latest in nutrition research to deliver food that supports the daily needs and demands of student-athletes’ physical and mental health.

“Athletic Dining has an incredible opportunity to integrate our work with that of our partners in Athletics,” said Dover. “I am excited to enhance Syracuse’s Division 1 student-athlete experience by supporting their overall wellness and performance in the classroom and on the field.”

At Penn State, Dover’s studies in kinesiology focused on athletic performance, sport biomechanics, and nutrition, and he was able to apply this knowledge when competing in cross country and indoor and outdoor track for the Nittany Lions.

In his post-graduate career, Dover ascended to sous chef for Penn State Hospitality Services, where he was responsible for restaurant operations at two campus-based hotels, as well as large-scale banquet services, and off-premises catered events.

From 2013-2019, as chef of Penn State’s 16,000-seat on-campus arena, Bryce Jordan Center, Dover re-established a direct link with the Athletic Department, providing training tables for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as crafting menus and event themes for Athletic administration, big-name concert and touring acts, as well as the Mount Nittany Club, a 4,000-seat capacity club located at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, one of the largest college football venues in the country.

Dover originally hails from Northeastern Pennsylvania and is an avid culinarian who enjoys exploring food destinations that further inspire his personal and professional cuisine creations. He also considers himself a college sports historian, and the Syracuse men’s basketball battles of the 1980s (particularly against then-Big East foe Georgetown) represent his very fondest memories of the pinnacle of college sport and competition.

Syracuse University Food Services announced today that Claire O’Boyle Downey has joined the hospitality team as the department’s new Director of Catering. She began her tenure at the University on February 16, 2023. Claire brings advanced education and years of experience from all areas of the hospitality industry. She studied at the Dublin College of Catering in Dublin, Ireland and relocated to the United States in 1988. Locally, Claire owned and operated her own catering business, “The Secret Ingredient,” serving the greater Syracuse area from 2005-2015. Additionally, Claire has served as the Director of Advancement at Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School, the Director of Development at Most Holy Rosary School, and was most recently the Director of Catering for the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles.

“I am ecstatic that Claire has chosen to lead the Syracuse University catering department,” says Eamon Lee, Executive Director of Hospitality. “Her dedication to grow and develop the team, oversee the onboarding of new catering and customer relationship management software, and refine operational processes — all while bringing her ‘hospitality first’ philosophy to each campus partner relationship — will help her to elevate catering services to new heights in the years ahead.”

Claire will spend this semester familiarizing herself with catering stakeholders, facilities, events, operations, and production. Long term, Claire’s focus will be on building strong campus relationships while aligning every aspect of campus catering with Food Services’ goals for hospitality excellence.

Claire will report to Executive Director of Hospitality, Eamon Lee, and will be based at the Campus Catering office at 201 Ainsley Drive.

Senior Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Kris Klinger announced this week that the University’s Executive Chef, Eamon Lee, has been promoted to the position of Executive Director, Hospitality. This position coordinates all hospitality needs for the Syracuse University community, including residential dining, catering, concessions, and retail operations. He will assume his new role on October 1, 2022.

“Eamon has brought the department and University a special mix of experience, passion, and skills that are ideal to serve and support the Food Service teams,” Klinger said. “I know he will continue to raise the bar as our offerings ascend to best-in-class.”

In this role, Eamon will continue to oversee Food Services’ effort to upgrade offerings at campus dining centers by introducing franchise-style concepts preferred by students. The effort is the result of intensive work over the summer break, and while several concepts have been implemented, there are additional concepts to come.

“I am thrilled at the opportunities that lie before us this year and beyond,” said Lee. “As the culinary team continues to grow, so too do the paths to new flavors, experiences, and culinary adventures in all units across campus. The additions of Dining Hall Director Chris Scarano and Catering Executive Chef Bryan Hammond have fortified our ranks, and positioned the culinary team to explore more ethnic cuisines, local food-ways, sustainability initiatives, and seasonally relevant menus. Syracuse Food Services is poised for meteoric growth, and I’m humbled to be part of our next chapter.”    

A Central New York native, Eamon has many iconic local stops on his resume, including The Wellington House, The Brewster Inn, The Lincklaen House, The Arad Evans Inn, 238 Bistro (now Bistro Elephant), and Century Club of Syracuse. In 2008, Eamon transitioned to foodservice distribution as a Culinary Director and kitchen design consultant, until accepting the Executive Chef role at Syracuse University in September, 2021.

 

Beginning Aug. 27, Food Services will implement an adjusted menu and new service hours at its Goldstein Dining location, in an effort to streamline service to meet South Campus student needs.

“Over the past year, we have studied the daily traffic flow in the food court,” says Kris Klinger, senior associate vice president for Auxiliary Services. “We know that students tend to head directly to Main Campus in the morning and then return to South Campus as the day goes on. Our new hours will provide a high level of service to our students when they need it most.”

Starting Aug. 27, Goldstein Dining will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Dunkin’ will offer its full range of coffee and breakfast products, and customers will be able to select from enhanced grab-and-go meal options, including entrée meals that can be consumed on-site or kept packaged and re-heated at a later time.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.