UT officials negotiate contract for food services

6/3/2008

University of Toledo officials said yesterday that they are in negotiations with a possible new dining services vendor for their main and Scott Park campuses.

The school is looking to Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp. to replace AVI Foodsystems Inc. of Warrren, Ohio, which has held the contract since 2002.

The contract expires June 30, and it is standard procedure to solicit proposals from outside vendors every five to six years to ensure the university is getting the best value, said Scott Scarborough, UT's senior vice president for finance and administration.

A committee of nine UT students, faculty, and staff members this spring gave Aramark top marks on a vendor ranking list, followed by AVI.

The contract involves 10 food service areas, which include six dining halls, a food court, and campus coffee shops.

Food services at UT generate about $12 million in gross annual revenues and employ 129 union and nonunion people, officials said.