community

SFU Burnaby campus charts new course in dining excellence

April 18, 2019
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
SMS
Email
Copy

A world-class student dining experience with a commitment to local procurement and giving back to the community is coming to SFU’s Burnaby campus.

Beginning in May, Chartwells Canada returns to SFU to lead our dining services. The company’s new vision Thinking Ahead Giving Back includes a commitment to local procurement, social innovation and community giving.

“At SFU, our focus is on student success and we work passionately to provide high quality education, exceptional student experiences and community engagement opportunities,” says Martin Pochurko, SFU’s vice president, finance and administration.

“Chartwells’ new Thinking Ahead Giving Back vision was the game changer for us. Their new commitment to local procurement, social innovation and giving back to the community really resonates with us.”

At the heart of this new culinary program at SFU is a partnership with local Vancouver celebrity chef and SFU alumnus Vikram Vij, a world-renowned cookbook author and television personality. The partnership with Vij will include display cooking and teaching with students, in addition to guiding the menu for special events.

“I am confident that Chartwell’s new direction will allow us to strengthen the SFU student experience at the Burnaby campus and build on our community and global contributions,” says Pochurko.

Thinking Ahead Giving Back impacts its partners across the country. Chartwells has pledged to deliver one million meals over three years to tackle food insecurity, both domestically and globally. Chartwells will also provide 10,000 hours of community support around mental well-being and other social issues facing our students, and create 1,000 job connections through a more focused commitment to student employment. 

“We are extremely proud to bring our new vision to the SFU community,” says Chartwells President Ashton Sequeira.

“We believe in partnering with the community to engage and inspire students. I’m excited about the strategic partnerships that we have and the new ones we will be forming to demonstrate our new approach at SFU.”