Concordia College

Overview of Dining Services

Concordia College is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and is home to 2,800 students from across the globe. The Dining Services department at Concordia is self operated and over the past two years has successfully built or renovated 100% of its operations  including Anderson Commons (residential dining, all-you-care-to-eat), The Maize (quick service café), the Coffee Stop, and the Korn Krib (c-store). This monumental task was accomplished by the team at Concordia, led by only 14 managers and supervisors.

In Anderson Commons, theme meals, rotating menus, ethnic cuisine and food education programs are just a few things that keep students coming back. Nearly every week features either a theme meal, monotony breaker or other special food item. The menu features core items that are served daily and then several other items that rotate frequently. Each day offers a new menu and combination of foods at each of the 11 stations.
Anderson Commons has become so popular that 95 percent of all Concordia students, including upper classmen and those who live off campus, are enrolled in meal plans.

Upon opening, The Maize introduced a new menu full of healthy menu items, grab-and-go items, made-to-order specialties, daily features and much more. Special events and promotions often occur in The Maize, which has become a destination for students to gather, talk, study and relax.

Four registered dietitians are on staff daily, ensuring that members of the campus community have someone to talk to about nutritional questions and needs. The RD’s also provide nutritional information about each menu item served through NetNutrition, labeling and on site menu information. Concordia is also an active member of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

Each summer, a new group of dietetic interns join the dining services team to prepare themselves for their futures as registered dietitians. Based in dining services, the dietetic internship program is accredited by the American Dietetic Association and offers recent dietetic graduates an internship with an emphasis in food service management, while also gaining clinical and community health experience.

Being environmentally aware has been one of the many goals set by Dining Services. Over the course of the past several years Dining Services has made significant strides in being green and has been recognized as the leader in sustainability at Concordia.

•    Energy efficient dish machine was installed that offers significant energy savings.
•    Nearly all disposable products such as to-go containers, napkins, utensils, etc are all made of recycled materials and are biodegradable.
•    Local products such as honey, apples and potatoes are frequently offered.
•    All coffee offered in The Maize, Anderson Commons and at catering events is Fair Trade Certified.
•    All of the facilities stopped offering plastic bags. Instead, guests must bring a reusable bag with them or purchase one on site.

Many more environmentally friendly changes have been made and can be found here.

Dining Services is also involved in the community. Each year Chef Jim Nehmzow helps prepare and serve Thanksgiving dinner to children and families who are at-risk or homeless. During the summer, WeCan! Camp is held and team members from Dining Services lead children in fun activities that teach them about eating healthy and staying fit. 

Dining Services also offers catering services, holiday bake sales, and contract services throughout the community.

The contract services division is responsible for over 1,000 meals each day that are distributed to daycares and Meals on Wheels recipients. During the summer and school out days, over 1,500 meals are served each day. Contract services provides year-round employment for the culinary team, increasing retention and in turn increasing loyalty and excellent service.

The catering team serves nearly 100,000 guests each year in events that range from formal to pick-up orders.

For more information about Concordia College Dining Services please email diningservices@cord.edu or call 218-299-3706.