During its inaugural year at West Virginia University (WVU), Elior Collegiate Dining delivered exceptional results—achieving a student satisfaction score exceeding 80%, surpassing previous years, and driving significant growth with a 13.5% increase in retail sales and a 65% increase in catering sales—demonstrating the powerful impact of its student-centered approach and innovative culinary programming.
The Elior team, known as WVU Hospitality Group, was celebrated during an end-of-year gathering for delivering a highly successful first year on campus—marked by impactful campus engagement and innovative collaborations such as the partnership with Celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani (FVH), whose dynamic portfolio of chef-driven, all-day dining brands was introduced to students. At WVU, students experienced four scratch-made concepts—Santorini, Taco Santo, Good Habit, the Sandwich Shoppe and The Corner—each delivering bold flavors, quality ingredients, and a modern dining experience from early morning through late night.
The team’s dedication extended far beyond daily operations, contributing countless hours toward campus events, limited-time offerings, late-night activations, and student engagement initiatives designed to enhance the overall dining experience. These collaborative efforts played an important role in driving participation, strengthening campus connection, and supporting progress toward key performance goals across the operation.
With strong momentum heading into the next academic year, Elior remains focused on delivering chef-driven dining experiences and enhancing the student dining journey, while continuing to invest in its team members. “Our team is building a strong culinary and service foundation at WVU—equipping our future chefs and associates with the tools they need to grow, achieve our goals, and continue to succeed,” said Elior Collegiate Dining Regional Vice President Dan Ball.
As part of the year-end celebration, team members received custom “Yes, Chef” t-shirts—designed to foster pride and unity among the team, and a personalized copy of The Professional Chef, a Culinary Institute of America cookbook, reinforcing Elior’s commitment to professional growth, skill development, and lifelong learning.
The event honored the contributions of WVU Hospitality Group team members, including Javier Cruz, Michael Labastida, David Beck, Joseph Bellair, Melanie Brown, Jason McMullen, Joshua Bishop, Leah Davis, Noah Fraley, Jessica Dressman, Alaster Traetta, Han Clouse, Nevada Wilson, and Lou Mayle.
“Our team is the heart of everything we do, and their passion will continue to drive our success in the year ahead,” added Ball.
