Sourcing the Supply Chain

No matter if the food served on campus is underwhelming or worthy of a five-star review, all of it has to come from somewhere.

When American Dining Creations (ADC) became Webster’s dining provider last fall, it inherited ongoing concerns about food quality. Whether students think the food tastes better since the switch, a question remains: Where does the food come from?

General manager of dining services Danielle Jones said ADC uses a blended sourcing model which includes local vendors, as well as regional and national distributors.

“Locally sourcing remains a priority for Webster Dining whenever it is feasible and sustainable,” Jones said. “As a St. Louis-based operation, we believe in supporting regional businesses, strengthening community partnerships and reducing transportation impact when possible.”

Current local vendors include Ole Tyme Produce, which provides produce, spices and grocery items; and Rootberry for plant-based frozen options.

Joe and Louise Daleo founded Ole Tyme Produce in 1973 out of a converted two-bay filling station in St. Louis. Now, it is the largest woman-owned fresh food distributor in the region.

Some of Ole Tyme Produce’s initial wholesale business involved partnering with schools, dating back almost 50 years.

“We view our partnership with schools like one may feel about their first child – the beginning; our roots,” Ole Tyme Produce’s website states.

The company holds Safe Quality Food certification, the highest industry certification in food safety, and works alongside farmers for sustainable food practices.

Other local vendor Rootberry is a fully vegan company that works to sustainably source ingredients and materials, as well as partner with local suppliers whenever possible.

In addition to local vendors, ADC’s national distributors are the Performance Food Group, Sysco and Pepsi.

Director of Residential Life Rachael Amick explained that ADC has a department dedicated to procurement, which helps select and verify that vendors have good quality items and are good partners to use.

Going forward, according to Jones, ADC hopes to expand its partnership with other local food vendors.

“As we continue through our first year on campus, we are actively identifying additional opportunities to expand local partnerships where quality, pricing and availability align with operational needs,” Jones said.