Mount Announces New Dining Service Partner

NEWBURGH – Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce that Parkhurst Dining is the college’s new food service partner.

As part of a constant effort to improve operations, the Mount put out a bid for dining service providers in the spring of 2016. Parkhurst was selected for its fresh, nutritious meals and desire to help build a sense of community around dining. Parkhurst began serving the college on August 1, 2016.

“I’m delighted that Mount Saint Mary College has partnered with Parkhurst,” said James Raimo, vice president for facilities and operations. “The partnership offers students, faculty, and staff a variety of delicious and convenient meal options throughout campus, to enhance the already stellar Mount Saint Mary College experience.”

Bill Albright, Parkhurst vice president of higher education, added, “We look forward to bringing a variety of healthier and innovative food choices, in addition to guest services that exceed expectations to the Mount Saint Mary College community.”

Parkhurst brings decades of food service experience to the Mount. Parkhurst was established in 1996 as a division of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. Eat’n Park has been a consistent presence in the Mid-Atlantic since 1949, currently boasting nearly 70 Eat’n Park restaurants throughout Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Parkhurst serves 60 client locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, and Illinois. Clients include Loyola, Washington and Lee, and Bucknell universities.
As Parkhurst places a premium on culinary excellence, menus throughout the campus will include made-from-scratch meals with fresh food from local farms and producers of food such as Hudson Valley Harvest in Kingston, N.Y.; Shenandoah Farm in East Fishkill, N.Y.; Rockland Bakery in Nanuet, N.Y.; City Baking LLC on Long Island; and Hudson Valley Fresh in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Local purchasing through Parkhurst’s FarmSource program not only boosts the area economy and ensures fresh food at the Mount, it reduces the distance food travels from harvest to table and increases our ability to support local agriculture. Through FarmSource, Parkhurst works with more than 250 local farmers and producers, all within a 150-mile radius of our locations.

Students will now have unlimited access to meals at The View, the college’s main dining hall. In addition to a build your own salad bar and enhanced “to go” selections, guests of The View will enjoy all day breakfast.   Gourmet sandwiches and pizza will also be served up until 3 a.m.

“Parkhurst’s 24/7 meal options will help transform The View into an evening gathering space for all of our students,” noted Elaine O’Grady, the Mount’s vice president for students. “With food and additional programming hosted by the Mount, students can continue to study and collaborate in an attractive environment well after most other local eateries have closed their doors for the night.”

Henry’s Courtside Café and The Dominican Center café will deliver nutritious, customized meals for when students do not have time to take advantage of The View. Using Mount Money, Flex Dollars, cash, or credit, diners at Henry’s will enjoy a variety of flatbreads, pasta, deli favorites, and fresh grilled items. The Dominican Center café will serve expanded menu options, including salad, sandwiches, sushi, and more.

In addition, the café in the college’s Kaplan Family Mathematics, Science, and Technology Center will now proudly serve Starbucks coffee and expresso drinks.

A majority of the hourly wage employees from the college’s previous dining service provider have accepted positions with Parkhurst, and remain stationed at the Mount.

We are working with the current Mount Saint Mary College team members to make the transition to Parkhurst as smooth as possible,” said Albright. “It is Parkhurst’s practice to offer existing hourly team members employment opportunities within our organization. New Parkhurst team members are provided in-house culinary and service training to uphold our high-quality food and service standards.”

Mount Saint Mary College students will return to campus for the Fall 2016 semester on August 28, with the first day of classes on August 29. Students will be able to enjoy Parkhurst meals as soon as they arrive on campus.