ADC Aims to Reform and Refine Dining

At the beginning of the school year, Webster Dining made the switch from Sodexo, its previous dining provider, to American Dining Creations (ADC). The move signaled a number of changes, including improving nutritional values and offering more culturally diverse options for dining on campus.

Announcing ADC as Webster’s dining provider followed a nearly two-year-long selection process. The decision to change companies came after Sodexo stated that it wanted to focus on larger clients and discontinue its work with Webster. When ADC took the wheel, all three dining stations in the University Center (UC) were swapped out and Marletto’s Marketplace received a menu makeover.

Registered dietitian and ADC’s director of wellness and nutrition Peyton Cain said the main challenge with any new campus is learning the preferences of the student body – Webster is no exception.

“We actively seek and utilize student feedback to shape our station offerings,” Cain said. “This ensures we are providing not just nutritionally balanced options, but meals that students actually crave and that support their daily needs.”

Cain collaborates directly with ADC’s culinary team and executive chefs to review and refine recipes before they ever reach campus dining, as well as take a magnifying glass to ingredient sourcing and preparation methods.

According to ADC general manager Danielle Jones, food safety standards are maintained through strict temperature controls, ongoing staff training, manager oversight and more.

Under Sodexo’s management, Marletto’s served three raw chicken tenders to a student in February 2024 and the EAB’s Grab-and-Go sold moldy doughnut holes to a student last year, as reported by The Journal.

The Marletto’s Food Establishment Inspection Report on Oct. 11, 2023 shows the eatery went from its previous A to a B rating. Offenses such as a build-up of soil and mold-like growth found on the soda fountain spout and using the hand sink to store cooked items were among the reasons for the drop. Marletto’s received an A rating after making corrections ‘on site.’

Jones ensures that the kitchens follow local regulations by undergoing regular health department inspections, as well as ensuring that food safety standards are met by conducting internal food safety audits and daily safety checks.

“Maintaining a clean and safe environment is a continuous, daily responsibility, not just something addressed during inspections,” Jones said.

In addition to keeping a clean environment, ADC offers many more food options. Junior screenwriting major Aqua Burton enjoys the cuisine at both dining halls.

“For lunch, I like coming here to the UC; but for dinner and stuff, obviously, the UC is not open,” Burton said. “For dinner, I love going to Marletto’s just because of how much more open it is. There’s such a wide variety there.”

Freshman Andrew Chien, a sound engineering and recording major, can’t choose between the dining halls.

“Personally, I wouldn’t say that one is better than the other. I just say they’re different, depending on how your schedule is and what your needs would be,” Chien said. “I feel like food-quality-wise, I’d say they’re both equal.”

Although he had difficulty picking one over the other, Chien was able to rate the dining halls differently.

“I would say Marletto’s would be a five [out of five] stars; and the UC, I’m gonna go four and a half,” Chien said.

Webster Dining’s new menus were created with balance and variety in mind, according to Jones, taking things like recommended dietary guidelines, student preferences and sustainability into consideration.

Cain said that ADC offers healthy options by taking a “holistic approach” to health and wellness.

“In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition,” Cain said. “Instead, we use a health-focused framework that empowers students to make food choices that are right for them. We also recognize that a healthy relationship with food includes flexibility. So while we prioritize highly nutritious foods, we also provide comforting, familiar options.”

Burton feels that there are plenty of options to fulfill nutritional goals and homesick stomachs, especially at Marletto’s.

“If you’re wanting a wide variety of everything, [Marletto’s has] a salad bar, they have fried stuff, they have pizzas, they have sweets, they have food from other cultures and stuff – and I know they do special events,” Burton said. “If you’re looking to get [a certain] kind of meal, or you’re missing a meal that you would have at home, they usually have it, and it’s really cool.”

Cain said that, behind the scenes, ADC determines standard serving sizes based on USDA guidelines and standard culinary benchmarks.

When ADC chefs cook a new meal, all of the ingredients are weighed, measured and logged into a database, which then calculates the macronutrients, micronutrients and allergens for one standard serving. For Marletto’s, the process is no different.

“When you are walking through the buffet line at Marletto’s, the nutrition information available will reflect that one standard serving,” Cain said. “We provide those standard measurements, not as a strict rule but as an educational tool. It gives you a reliable baseline and ensures you have the information you need to make an informed choice about your food.”

ADC utilizes Nutrislice, a website new to Webster that allows students to check menus, nutritional information and allergen details.

To view the nutrition facts for on-campus dining options, visit websterdining.com and click on “Menu.” Students with in-depth or allergen-related questions can reach out to on-site dining staff located in the University Center or email daniellej@webster.edu