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Insights

Perspectives for leaders deciding what comes next.

Perspectives from Catalyst Hospitality Group on campus dining, contract strategy, procurement, operational performance and the RFP process.

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Students dining in a modern university dining commons with an open culinary station at golden hour
Collegiate Dining Insights

10 Questions Universities Should Ask Before Renewing Their Dining Services Contract

Is your current dining program truly delivering the best possible outcome—or is renewal simply the easiest option? Ten questions to ask before you extend.

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A university selection committee reviewing dining proposals around a warm oak conference table
Collegiate Dining Insights

How to Run a University Dining RFP That Actually Improves Your Program

Most dining RFPs measure proposals instead of outcomes. Here is a phased process that produces a better program, not just a thicker document.

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A campus dining financial worksheet, calculator and coffee cup on a warm oak desk
Collegiate Dining Insights

Commission, Management Fee, or P&L? Understanding Campus Dining Financial Models

Profit-and-loss, management fee, and hybrid structures each shift risk differently. Here is how to tell which one fits your institution.

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A dining services manager reviewing performance data on a tablet in a campus servery
Collegiate Dining Insights

The KPIs Every Campus Dining Contract Should Include

Most dining agreements measure financial performance well and everything else poorly. These are the KPIs that hold a program accountable.

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A newly renovated campus dining commons with warm oak millwork and new culinary equipment
Collegiate Dining Insights

Who Should Pay for Campus Dining Capital Investment?

Investment offers look generous in a proposal. Here is how to evaluate what campus dining capital actually costs over the life of a contract.

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College students seated at a communal table sharing feedback about their dining experience
Collegiate Dining Insights

How to Measure Student Dining Satisfaction Beyond the Annual Survey

Better feedback is frequent, specific and operational. A practical framework for measuring the student dining experience all year.

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A university dining director and executive chef walking together through a campus dining hall
Collegiate Dining Insights

Self-Operated or Contracted Dining: How Universities Should Decide

Self-operation offers control and margin. Contracting offers scale and transferred risk. A framework for deciding which fits your institution.

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A signed agreement on a warm oak table in a sunlit campus office overlooking a dining hall
Collegiate Dining Insights

The First 100 Days: Managing a Dining Contract Transition

Transitions are won in the details: staffing, communication, facility readiness and a commitment tracker that outlives the celebration.

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Hospitality leaders developing an intentional business growth strategy.
Growth Strategy

Growth by Design: How to Intentionally Grow a Hospitality Business

Growth should not simply happen to an organization. It should be designed. A practical framework for aligning your offering, people, capital, operations, strategic partners and customers before accelerating growth.

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A compact countertop cooking appliance finishing a plated dish in a modern hotel lounge, illustrating technology-enabled foodservice without a traditional kitchen
Innovation & Operations

Rethinking the Kitchen: Why Kitchenless Foodservice Could Reshape Hospitality

What if high-quality hot food no longer required a traditional commercial kitchen? What the Kitchenless model could mean for hotels, universities, senior living, healthcare, entertainment and workplace dining.

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