The development of a central food service for the University of Tennessee

Feeding of university students has become a major problem of many large universities such as The University of Tennessee. In the Fall of 1966, 18,832 students were enrolled on the Knoxville campus, with an expected enrollment in 1970 of 31,155 students, according to Birchfield (3)*. This large actual and projected enrollment has necessitated the establishment of a combined food services operation on The University of Tennessee campus. The purpose of this study is to describe the Central Food Services of The University of Tennessee in an effort to assist other colleges and universities in their plans for a food service program. Also, the author wishes to show the savings that can be experienced by buying in quantity and by using centralized food service facilities. The following problems were encountered in making this study: (1) limited amount of literature concerning the establishment and operation of Central Food Services, (2) lack of universities having a Central Food Service, and (3) relative newness in the field of Central Food Services. These problems placed strict limitations on the amount of research completed.