Compass Group to replace Aramark as USF’s dining, facilities partner

*The Hub is one of the USF dining halls that will go through transformations during the dining and facilities partnership change. ORACLE PHOTO/NATHAN POULETTE*

After 22 years of partnership with Aramark, the time has come for some staff members to receive brand-new badges and uniforms.

The university announced a new dining and facilities partnership with Compass Group last month.

USF will sever its partnership with Aramark in favor of a multi-million dollar cost-saving deal with Compass. The change will put the university in the “best position to achieve its goals” after reassessing its “agreements with service providers,” said Ryan Hughes, a USF spokesperson.

The USF Facilities Services transition will start as soon as December, and as for USF Dining, the community can expect changes in July, according to the university.

Hughes did not provide a specific answer as to why USF changed providers but instead referred to it as a continuous partnership reassessment.

Hughes said Compass was selected after “extensive evaluation.”

Chartwells Higher Education, Levy and Southeast Services Corporation were the sectors of Compass chosen to provide dining, athletics concessions and facilities services, respectively, across all USF campuses.

The partnership with Compass is projected to be worth $21 million in cost savings and additional revenue per year, and nearly $320 million over a 15-year partnership, Hughes said.

Hughes said the savings will provide the university with resources that “were not available before the agreement,” such as new internships and learning opportunities for students.

USF did not send the final termination agreement with Aramark at the time of publication.

What changes are coming?

Some dining halls will go through “transformations” in summer 2025. This will build “new experiences” for students while keeping familiar locations and “campus favorites,” said Meredith Rosenberg, a Compass spokesperson.

Rosenberg said minimal disturbances will be made to dining hall services during the transition to guarantee a “seamless” experience for everyone.

Dining guests will notice new and familiar menus with “globally-inspired cuisines,” as well as seasonal and local ingredients for fresh options, Rosenberg said.

“Compass is eager to connect with students and the university community to gather input and develop a program tailored to USF’s unique needs and preferences,” she said.

The chefs and dietitians will work with students with dietary needs, including those with food allergies, to ensure a safe dining experience, Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said “clearly-labeled menus, dedicated allergen-free food prep areas and on-site dietitians” will help students and guests navigate their choices safely.

“Our goal is to create a welcoming dining experience where every student feels included and cared for,” Rosenberg said.

Meal plan prices had already been set for summer 2025, fall 2025 and spring 2026 and will not change after the dining transition, Rosenberg said.

The partnership between USF and Compass means around 400 people will not be state employees anymore since the agreement will privatize their jobs, according to Tampa Bay Times and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay articles.

In-person meetings with employees started the same day the partnership announcement was made. Employees talked to USF and Compass representatives to ask questions about the transition, Hughes said.

All USF dining and facilities staff can stay in their roles with “compensation that is equal to or better than what they receive today,” the university announced in an email.

“We have worked hard to identify a partner […] that also puts its people first and brings more opportunities for them,” the university said.

Compass will consider employees’ hire date with Aramark to evaluate qualification to partake in benefit plans and paid time off, according to the Compass FAQ page.

Eight open positions for USF Dining and USF Facilities Services were listed on the Compass jobs website at the time of publication, including culinary operations director and grounds manager.

USF President Rhea Law thanked Aramark for the long-held partnership and said USF will continue to have a good relationship with the company during the transition.

The university said it will post updates regarding the partnership through the FAQ page.

CLARA ROKITA GARCIA, NEWS EDITOR

Clara Rokita Garcia is the news editor for The Oracle. She's an integrated public relations and advertising student double majoring in English with literary studies concentration. She grew up in Brazil and moved to the U.S in fall 2022. She started at The Oracle in fall 2023 as a news correspondent intern. She is highly motivated to write creative and helpful stories for USF students. Reach her at clararokitagarcia@usf.edu.

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