Lees-McRae College Announces New Dining Partnership With Genuine Foods
BANNER ELK — Lees-McRae College is partnering with food service company Genuine Foods for all on-campus dining. This collaboration will elevate the quality of food served to residential students and modernize campus operations.
“Our decision to work with Genuine Foods is a direct result of our students letting their voices be heard,” said Lees-McRae President Lee King. “They talked, and we listened. We’re excited to see how this partnership will allow us to better serve our students and support our pursuit of excellence. It’s a new day for food service at Lees-McRae.”
Starting Fall 2022, Genuine Foods will manage all dining operations, including the campus’s signature dining location The Summit, Einstein Bros. Bagels in The Exchange Bookstore, and a grab-and-go smart market in the Shelton Learning Commons. Genuine Foods will also service a new dining location in the Cannon Administration Building at the South Campus at Grandfather Home.
Genuine Foods is dedicated to providing healthy, delicious, and sustainable food options to students, with an emphasis on sourcing local ingredients wherever possible. Local produce partners include Hickory Nut Gap for meat raised with ethical, sustainable practices and Foster Caviness, which works with local farms to provide seasonal fruits and vegetables. The Genuine Foods menus pull from a diverse range of cuisines and place fruits, vegetables or whole grains at the center of each meal.
Through this partnership, Lees-McRae will expand the dining options available to students and offer more meals that match our students’ tastes and values.
“We are thrilled to grow our footprint in Higher Education with such an esteemed institution as Lees-McRae,” says Jeff Mills, CEO of Genuine Foods. “We look forward to engaging the campus community and bringing exceptional and delicious scratch-made meals to students.”
Genuine Foods will begin operations at the beginning of August in preparation for the start of the fall semester. They are currently hiring for several positions, including lead cook, site supervisor, prep cook, and cashier. To apply, please visit the Genuine Foods employment page.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, residential college that awards baccalaureate and graduate degrees. At nearly 4,000 feet—the highest elevation of any campus on the East Coast—the college celebrates its location through distinct programming. An emphasis on experiential education inspires students to learn by doing and gain broad knowledge through study across disciplines. To provide opportunities for all, the college offers bachelor’s degree completion programs online and in surrounding communities. For more information, please visit www.lmc.edu or call (828) 898-5241.
Genuine Foods is a quality-focused food service company that shuns packaged, processed and frozen ‘food’ in favor of scratch-made, wholesome, culturally relevant meals created with fresh, vibrant seasonal ingredients. Genuine Foods serves K-12 schools, higher education, senior and hospital facilities and communities. Founded in 2015 by Jeff Mills, the longtime Director of Food & Nutrition Services for Washington D.C. Public Schools, the Genuine Foods team seeks to bring a radical, nationwide change to how foodservice looks — all at a refreshingly competitive price — especially in communities where poverty, obesity and health issues are prevalent.