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Awards and Honors

Dining Services boasts a tradition of award-winning programming, venues, and service. In the last five years, more than 50 colleges and businesses have benchmarked our program and its facilities. We have received numerous awards for our chefs, facilities, franchises, and program.

  • No. 8, Best Campus Food, “Best of 389 Colleges: 2023 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 3, “Best College Food in America,” Niche

  • No. 11, Best Campus Food, “Best of 387 Colleges: 2023 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 2, “Best College Food in America,” Niche
  • Gold ADDY for Ambient Media Multiple Installations: Rosso
  • Silver ADDY for Direct Marketing Specialty Advertising: Oyster Day 2022
  • Silver ADDY for Social Media Single Execution: Chef’s Special Sugar Cookie
  • Silver ADDY for Integrated Advertising Campaigns: Chili Challenge 2022
  • Silver ADDY for Visual – Still Photography: Becky’s Kickin’ Chicken sandwich at the Fighting Gobbler

  • Great Campus Food, “Best of 387 Colleges: 2022 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 2, “Best College Food in America,” Niche
  • Western Virginia American Advertising Awards
    • 2022 Silver Addy® Award for Burger ‘37 Limited Time Offers Promotions
    • 2022 Silver Addy® Award for Shell Yeah! Event Poster
    • 2022 Silver Addy® Award for 31st Chili Challenge Campaign
  • Governor's Environmental Excellence Silver Medal Award
  • Grand Prize Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, "30th Annual Chili Challenge," Residential Dining - Special Event
  • Gold Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, "30th Annual Chili Challenge," Residential Dining - Special Event
  • Silver Sustainability Award, NACUFS, "Sustainable Eats Bike Tour," Outreach and Education
  • "12 Colleges with Healthy Dining Options," U.S. News and World Report
  • No. 7, "Best Sandwiches," Food Management

  • No. 2, "The 25 Colleges with the Best Food," Newsweek
  • No. 8, Best Campus Food, “Best of 384 Colleges: 2021 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 2, Best Campus Food, Niche
  • No. 6, 2021 College Power Players, Food Management
  • Western Virginia American Advertising Awards
    • 2021 Gold Addy® Award and Best of Electronic for Chili Challenge Animation
    • 2021 Gold Addy® Award for Curate Still Photography
    • 2021 Gold Addy® Award for Behind the Mask Social Media Campaign
    • 2021 Silver Addy® Award for blend. Logo Design
    • 2021 Silver Addy® Award for Breadcrumbs Webisode
    • 2021 Silver Addy® Award for Advertising Industry Self Promotion

  • No. 5, Best Campus Food, “Best of 384 Colleges: 2020 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 2, Best Campus Food, Niche
  • Western Virginia American Advertising Awards
    • 2020 Gold Addy® Award for Shiki Special Event Menu
    • 2020 Gold Addy® Award for Shiki Food Photography
    • 2020 Silver Addy® Award for Chili Challenge Video Series
  • These Colleges In The US Have The Best Campus Food, The Travel
  • Grand Prize Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, "Shiki," Residential Dining - Special Event
  • Gold Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, "Shiki," Residential Dining - Special Event
  • Silver Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, "Curate," Catering - Special Event

  • No. 3, Best Campus Food, “Best of 384 Colleges: 2019 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 1, Best Campus Food, Niche
  • College Food Truck of the Year, Mobile Cuisine
  • Winner 2019 Food Management Menu Madness Tournament, Food Management
  • No. 1, Sales Volume College and University, Freshens
  • No. 4, College Power Players, Food Management
  • Best Sandwiches with Global Flavors - “Smoky Lamb Dip” Food Management
  • No. 2, “Jerk Chicken Wings,” Tyson Foods’ College & University Wings Contest
  • University Photographers’ Association of America
    • 3rd place in Photo Essay - "Plant Forward"
    • 3rd place in Personal Vision - "Cream and Sugar"
  • Western Virginia American Advertising Awards
    • 2019 Silver Addy® Award for Deet's Place Compostable Cups
    • 2019 Silver Addy® Award for Plant Forward Food Photography

  • Best of Show - 2018 Best Concept Award Food Management
  • College Food Truck of the Year, Mobile Cuisine
  • No. 2, Best Campus Food, Niche
  • No. 1, The Best College Dining Program In Each State, FoodService Director
  • No. 9, Best Colleges for Food in America, The Daily Meal
  • No. 2, 50 Best Colleges with the Best Food 2017-18, Best Value Schools
  • No. 3, 2018 College Power Players, Food Management
  • No. 6, Best Campus Food, “Best of 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • Top 15 Best Universities for Healthy Eaters, Healthline
  • Top 25 Best College Dining Halls - The College Consensus Best Campus Dining Halls, College Concensus
  • The 30 Colleges With The Best Campus Food You've Ever Seen, Delish
  • Reusable To-Go Program - Honorable Mention for the 2018 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards
  • A Report Card for Vegan Offerings, for going above & beyond to provide all students with exceptional vegan food, Peta2

  • Silver Plate Award, Ted Faulkner, Colleges and Universities, IFMA 
  • No. 2, Best Campus Food, Niche
  • No. 4, Best Campus Food, “Best of 381 Colleges: 2017 Edition,” The Princeton Review
  • No. 1, Sales volume College and University, Chick-fil-A
  • No . 1, Sales volume Brueggers Bagels
  • No. 1, Sales volume College and University, Freshens
  • 17 Colleges with the Best Food Chowhound.com
  • 15 Best Universities for Healthy Eaters
  • Top 20  Non-Commercial Foodservice Operators - FoodService Director
  • Best Colleges in Each State Based on Dining Hall Food - MSN Lifestyle
  • No. 2, The Best College Food in America - Town and Country Magazine
  • No. 9, Top 30 College Dining Halls - lendedu
  • The Best College Dining Halls in America - Travel and Leisure
  • The Souths Most Stunning Campus Dining Rooms - Southern Living
  • Western Virginia American Advertising Awards
    • Gold 2017 ADDY for Grillfield Truck wrap 
    • Silver 2017 ADDY for Periodic Table Truck wrap
    • Silver 2017 ADDY for Grillfield Logo
  • B Report Card for Vegan Offerings, for going above and beyond to provide all students with exceptional vegan food, Peta2

  • No. 3, Best Campus Food, “Best of 380 Colleges: 2016 Edition,” The Princeton Review - Virginia Tech Dining Services
  • No. 1, Best Campus Food, Niche
  • NACUFS Bronze, Sustainability Oureach and Education
  • B Report Card for Vegan Offerings, for going above and beyond to provide all students with exceptional vegan food, Peta2

  • No. 3, Best Campus Food, “Best of 380 Colleges: 2016 Edition,” The Princeton Review - Virginia Tech Dining Services
  • No. 1, Fittest College in America, The Active Times
  • No. 2, Best College Food, "The 2015 Cappies" Cappex
  • No. 1, Top 10 College Dining Halls, West End Market, Lendedu
  • No. 5, Colleges with the Best Dining Halls, Business Insider

  • No. 1, Best Campus Food, “Best of 379 Colleges: 2015 Edition,” The Princeton Review - Virginia Tech Dining Services
  • 2014 Premier REACH Illuminating Excellence Award
  • No. 3, Best College Food in America, Daily Meal
  • Top 15, Best College Dining Halls 2014, Business Insider
  • 9 Great Meals in Unexpected Places - Conde' Nast Traveler
  • Brueggers Bagels New Bakery Volume Leader
  • Qdoba Gold Sales Award
  • 2014 Governor's Environmental Excellence Award - Bronze Medal
  • No. 1, Best Cafeteria Variety, College Prowler
  • No. 1, Best Quality Food, College Prowler
  • No. 7, Heathiest Dining Options, College Prowler
  • No. 13, 50 Fittest Colleges in America, MSN
  • 14 Best College Dining Halls in America, Thrillist
  • No. 3, 25 Universities with the Healthiest and Freshest Food, Best Hospitality Degrees
  • 2014 RecycleMania Pledge Drive Winner
  • Gold Loyal E. Horton Award, NACUFS, "Flappers and Fall Guys," Residence Hall Dining - Theme Dinner
  • Gold STARS Rating, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
  • VT Milk, designated as Virginia's Finest Product
  • The Hobbit Meal, special event coverage, Food Management Magazine