Bids were received last Friday for the next food service provider.

Three companies, Sodexho, Chartwells and Aramark, placed bids to become the University food provider for the next 5-10 years.

The current food contract with Sodexho does not expire until May 2003. However, the University decided to pursue a new contract so that the chosen food provider could have a role in the development of the Busch Memorial Center renovations and expansion, according to Vice President for Student Development Kathy Humphrey.

“The only reason we are doing this a year early is so that the new provider can help design the new space,” Humphrey said.

A new contract is likely to be signed before the end of April. The three companies will be narrowed down to two within the week. At that time, a committee of students, facilities, legal counsel, fiscal managers and BMC representatives will choose the provider.

With the expiration of the Sodexho contract still one year away, a new provider, if chosen, would have the option to buyout the Sodexho contract and start service next year. However, the provider could also wait the year out, allowing Sodexho to operate normally.

Humphrey and groups of students have visited a variety of campuses to evaluate dining services. “I’ve spent a lot of time evaluating services,” she said. She noted that all three bidders had positives and negatives during their visits.

While Sodexho has been at SLU for nearly 15 years, Humphrey does not believe they have a better or worse chance than the other bidders. “It’s a very fair race,” she said.

Humphrey said she is looking for a company that will continue to “stay on the cutting edge of college dining.”

More importantly, she is looking for a company that understands the needs of SLU students, not just college students. She is also wanting to see a balanced plan with healthy options for those students with different eating lifestyles.

“I want to see them raise the level of the dining experience,” she said.

Whichever company is chosen will be expected to have a dining program that is flexible and can change with the trends, she added.

While the University expects each bidder to provide some sort of financial contribution to the new student union, Humphrey said that all three bids line up across the board “pretty well” on this point.

“The monetary aspects are not the issue,” Humphrey said.