BAKERGROUP DINING DESIGNS WIN TWO NATIONAL GRAND PRIZES
University of Michigan foodservice projects honored by national organization
Grand Rapids (December 2015) – Bakergroup, a nationally-recognized foodservice and hospitality consulting and design firm, is pleased to announce that two of its projects at the University of Michigan were Grand Prize Winners in the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) annual awards program.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time one university has won Grand Prizes in two categories in the same year,” said Jim Sukenik, FCSI, president and senior design director for Bakergroup. “One project is very large; the other midsize. The University’s interests were parallel to our own: create outcomes that attract and retain customer interest, for the long term. The University required both outcomes to be market relevant, creative, sophisticated, engaging and highly flexible. Fortunately, that’s our specialty.”
The “Grand Prize Residential Dining Concepts” went to University of Michigan’s South Quad Dining facility. Part of a major residence hall upgrade, South Quad’s dining center renovation improved back-of-house operations and expanded seating capacity to 1050. The fourteen new food venues have unique brand identities and menus, developed in Bakergroup’s signature Micro-Restaurant™ format, which include vegan, Asian, Latin, Mediterranean, an all-day breakfast bar and gluten-free options. Variations in seating, finishes and lighting create environments that range from a quiet enclave to a dynamic sports bar, while adjacent private dining rooms offer tasteful alternatives for small groups. Among many sustainable features, the dining tables and counters were made from repurposed bowling alley flooring.
Bakergroup served as Foodservice Consultant on the design team led by architect / interior designer SmithGroupJJR. This project and SmithGroup’s renovation of the entire residence hall also received an Award of Merit from the national Illuminating Engineering Society; an Award of Merit from the Detroit chapter of the IES; and an Interior Design Excellence Award from IIDA-Michigan.
“This renovation takes our success to a whole other level,” said Peter Logan, communications director for University of Michigan, University Housing in mlive.com. “Expectations and trends change, so it really articulates the whole Micro-Restaurant™ concept.”
The “Grand Prize – Retail Sales Multiple Concepts / Marketplace” went to the Fireside Café in Pierpont Commons on University of Michigan’s North Campus. The project transformed a 1960s-era, tray-style cafeteria to a 10,500 sf modern eatery with six different stations. Made-to-order meals using local ingredients are served at Micro-Restaurants™ Greens, Grains, Soups, The Hearth, Flare and Fuel. The comfortable, open-seating space features several fireplaces, flat-screen televisions and surround-sound. Stantec, the architect for the project, reinforced the sustainable performance of the outcome by specifying automated lighting controls for the LED fixtures, carpet and tile with recycled content, and paint and flooring materials low in VOCs, among its other sustainable features.
“It’s an honor to be recognized not once, but twice, with the Grand Prize Award. I’m proud of the teamwork that creates delicious, healthy food in responsible, sustainable ways,” University of Michigan Dining Director Steve Mangan said in a statement.
NACUFS announced the 2015 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards at its national conference in July. More than seventy colleges and universities submitted entries that were evaluated by a jury of six peers. Selected for exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning and new dining concepts, the winners will be featured in the fall/winter issue of Campus Dining Today, the organization’s professional magazine.
About Bakergroup Foodservice Consulting & Design
Founded in 1984, Bakergroup offers comprehensive foodservice consulting and design for clients in the higher education, restaurant, resort, health care, hospitality, corporate and conference center markets. An experienced team of professionals led by Principals James Sukenik, Mona Milius and Stephanie Occhipinit provides award-winning facility design, interior design, master planning, programming, lighting and signage services for foodservice facilities across the US from their headquarters in Grand Rapids. Get in touch: Bakergroup.com,800.968.4011.
