UC Riverside’s Dining Services won top prizes in three categories in national awards recognizing innovation and excellence in campus dining.
The department won a silver award and two bronze awards from the National Association of College & University Food Services, which presented the honors at its national conference in New Orleans on July 17. Moses Preciado and Julie Zeno, both senior managers with Dining Services, accepted the awards at the conference on the department's behalf.
Dining Services won the Silver Award for Outreach and Education Program of the Year for a June 2025 event held at the Barn called “Breaking Bread: Building Understanding through Food.”
The event brought together about 90 guests for a screening of the documentary “Breaking Bread,” which follows Israeli and Palestinian chefs who use food to build understanding. The event featured a five-course meal inspired by the film including Fattoush salad with salmon and beef and lamb kofta with herb yogurt sauce.
A January event at the Glasgow Residential Restaurant showcasing South Asian food and culture received the Bronze Award for Residential Special Event of the Year. The collaboration with the South Asian Federation attracted more than 2,300 guests for an evening of South Asian food and student performances.
Finally, UCR’s newest dining venue, the Den, received the Bronze Award for Retail Sales Single concept. The market, located at the North District 2 student housing complex, opened last fall, serving both UCR and Riverside City College students. It provides convenient access to fresh grab-and-go meals, specialty coffee drinks, snacks, beverages, and other essentials.