Syracuse University Campus Dining is asking students to complete a benchmarking survey administered by the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS). The survey will run through Tuesday, April 15, This is the first time Syracuse University Campus Dining has participated in this type of survey, which NACUFS administers at colleges and universities nationwide.
Read the full story at Syracuse University News.
Campus Dining is excited to welcome the University campus community back to campus for the spring semester. The department will debut several new food options and dining initiatives across campus, responding to evolving culinary trends and student feedback about cuisine variety on campus, dietary needs and preferences, made-to-order options and favorites, and fresh and clean ingredient choices.
Read the full article at Syracuse University News.
Syracuse University Campus Dining has appointed Chef Richard Leonardo to the role of Corporate Executive Chef. The new position, which will provide overall leadership and operational management to all aspects of the campus dining program (residential, retail and athletic dining, catering, concessions, and bakery, production kitchen, and cook-chill facilities), was created in order to bring a focused, strategic approach to the culinary program at the University.
The culinary team is fully aligned with the new leadership position. Chef Leonardo will report directly to Cheryl Fabrizi, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services. He will lead Executive Chefs Ilana Cahill, Jeff Dover, and Bryan Hammond, all of whom support campus dining at Syracuse University. Leonardo will leverage the professional experiences of his team to enhance every aspect of the campus culinary experience.
“The dining program at Syracuse is multi-faceted and requires a nimble leader who can pivot quickly as needed,” said Cheryl Fabrizi, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services. “We’ve built our culinary team over the past year, by adding talented chefs and campus dining leaders across the entire team. Chef Leonardo will now be charged with putting culinary talent to its highest and best use and executing a cohesive culinary strategy across campus.”
In support of that goal, Chef Leonardo will work to introduce the latest culinary trends in campus dining and culinary production in the campus commissary. He’ll be responsive to student feedback, introducing globally-inspired and special occasion menu options in residential dining, where residential students eat the majority of their meals, infusing national food trends in retail dining and concessions, and continuing to elevate catered experiences. Chef Leonardo will continue to grow the culinary training program for SEIU employees as well as all of the culinary staff at Syracuse University and provide valuable input on new construction of and renovations of dining facilities and equipment.
“Our goal is always to bring inviting, comfortable, engaging dining experiences to our guests – students, faculty, staff, community members, alumni, and beyond,” said Chef Leonardo. “Food brings people together. That’s where our focus will always be – on the connections that can grow from sitting down together over a delicious plate of food.”
About Chef Leonardo
Chef Leonardo, a Central New York native, began his tenure at Syracuse University in November 2023, when he was hired as an executive chef in Campus Dining. His culinary path began in his teenage years, when he worked at his family’s 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.
Leonardo 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 spent 10 years developing menus and actively working and training on-site with culinarians at 29 colleges and universities.
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.
The Food Recovery Network recovers uneaten food in dining centers and delivers it to local agencies. Read more about this amazing group of student volunteers here.
