BLACKSBURG, Va., Feb. 27, 2006 – Student Programs’ Housing and Dining Services is pleased to announce that D2, Virginia Tech’s international marketplace-style dining facility, has been awarded one of Food Management Magazine’s 2006 Best Concept Awards for Best Renovation.
This annual award is designed to recognize recently renovated self- or contract-operated foodservice organizations that demonstrate innovative thinking and bottom-line results. The winners of this year’s competition will be featured in the March issue of Food Management Magazine and highlighted at the 2006 Food Management Ideas Conference in Chicago, May 17-19.
“We are very proud of the D2 concept,” said Rick Johnson, director of Housing and Dining Services at Virginia Tech. “There are very few venues in the United States that serve authentic Brazilian churrascaria-grilled meats and crème brûlée in an all-you-care-to-eat environment.”
Renovated between February and August 2004, D2 incorporates marketplace-style dining into an all-you-care-to-eat setting where food is prepared in front of the customer, rather than behind a kitchen wall. It offers eight international-themed food stations—Salsas, with Mexican fare; Pan Asia, with wok-prepared Asian selections; Gauchos, a Brazilian churrascaria with skewered meats; Mangia!, with pasta and brick oven pizzas; Eden’s, with salads and vegetables; East Side Deli, with made-to-order deli sandwiches; Olives, featuring Mediterranean vegan and vegetarian selections; and La Pâtisserie, with decadent desserts.
Virginia Tech’s dining program is constantly striving to provide a better dining experience. After West End Market won the Food Management Best Concept Award for Best Renovation in 2000, D2 Housing and Dining Services tried to raise the bar even higher. Since the opening of D2 in fall of 2004, the renovation has had rave reviews among students.
“The best part was to see the wide-eyed expressions and smiles on the students’ faces when we first opened and they could see how different it was from the cafeteria-style Depot,” said Robert Coffey, senior associate director of dining services at Virginia Tech. “That really made us feel like all the hard work was worth it.”
Housing and Dining Services manages the self-operated dining program at Virginia Tech, including 12 on-campus facilities ranging from small à la carte coffee shops to D2, which serves about 3,400 customers each day. Information on dining plans offered at Virginia Tech, daily menus, and dining center hours are available here.