Chartwells Higher Education assumes Fresh Ideas contract, feedback is mixed

by Maddux Morse \ Sept. 29, 2026

Returning students may have been surprised this summer to hear of a new dining provider, only one year since the switch from long-time provider Metz Culinary Management to Fresh Ideas. After a rocky year with Fresh Ideas, the decision was made to switch to Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, the owner of the Fresh Ideas company.

Feedback from students so far has been mixed, with some saying they prefer the new provider to Fresh Ideas, some saying they think it is worse, and still others wishing they had Metz back. 

For students at MC, the last two years have been unpredictable when it comes to the dining experience on campus. This is especially pertinent when considering that residential students are required to purchase a meal plan, which costs thousands of dollars every semester.

Jaelyn Hedrick (’27) expressed her concerns and discussed the daily impact that the dining service has on her life.

“There has been no consistency in the last two years,” she said, adding that in her opinion, [Chartwells] is worse than Fresh Ideas, which was worse than Metz the year before. “[Metz] was reliable and consistent. I do not care for the new provider.”

Many new changes this year accompany the dining provider switch. First year students have an Unlimited meal plan, which offers them unlimited meal swipes at Pearsons Dining Hall and imposes a maximum of five swipes at Isaac’s Cafe per week. Additionally, Isaac’s is now open from 11 a.m. through 10 p.m., and has seen some menu changes. 

Mia Espinoza (’30) shared her feelings surrounding the meal plan and dining provider.

“I was excited to experience the dining hall when I first arrived on campus, and my first meal was actually amazing. As the semester has gone on, though, I’ve noticed a lot of inconsistency. There are good days and not-so-great days when it comes to both the quality and variety of the food.”

She said she notices these inconsistencies at breakfast: “On a good day, there are multiple yogurt options, potatoes, fluffy eggs, and bacon or sausage. Other days, there may only be strawberry yogurt, dry sausage, or no poultry option.

“I’m not someone who complains unnecessarily, but I pay a very significant amount for my meal plan and rely on this food every single day. I want to be able to have a filling, nutritious, and enjoyable meal without feeling like I need to DoorDash food to my dorm.”

According to Paul Cummings, general manager of Chartwells at MC, Flex dollars for each meal plan have also increased across the board, a choice that was designed to help alleviate the financial stress of paying for meals at Isaac’s that are not offered on the “meal exchange”, like chicken sandwiches or nachos.

According to Jaedyn Sudderth (‘27), a Resident Assistant, these items are offered on the meal plan, the way to access it just hasn’t been communicated to students very clearly. To access these meals, students should select the item, then click the options button at the checkout screen, and press “override.”

“Anything above $8 you can’t do for a full meal exchange,” Sudderth said. “You can put the $8 credit on it and pay the difference, though.”

“The ordering kiosk is efficient, but I am confused about how the five weekly swipes work,” Espinoza said. “I accidentally used my Flex Dollars instead of meal swipes and didn’t realize it until I had already used them. I think the payment methods could be communicated more clearly.”

Dean of Students and Vice President of the College Dr. Ben Stubbs has been the dining service liaison and point of contact through the process. Regarding the selection process for a new provider, Stubbs said that in Spring 2025, the College began a semester-long process to consider new dining service providers. Metz submitted a proposal, as did Fresh Ideas.

“Metz provided really consistent, quality service to the college for 11 years, however we knew that other dining providers were bringing other things to the table,” Stubbs said. “We wanted to see what was out there and ways to elevate dining service providers at the college.”

The College decided to enter a 10-year contract with Fresh Ideas. Stubbs said that while the cost was not a driving factor in the decision, the rates proposed by Fresh Ideas were very competitive. 

Stubbs said that staff turnover at a managerial level was a major challenge with Fresh Ideas, and the transition at the beginning of last year was challenging. By the fourth executive chef, the College knew they needed to make a change.

“Eventually we became concerned that [Fresh Ideas] was not going to meet our expectations. It’s hard to create consistency, trust and confidence when the team is new all the time.”

Considering the relationship between Fresh Ideas and Chartwells, students may have doubts about whether or not the new company is equipped to satisfy the needs that Fresh Ideas couldn’t. I asked the question, and Stubbs’ response was one of reassurance.

“I hope that in making this change we’ve indicated a commitment to a quality dining provider for students. Given our experience in the last year, we are very hands on and communicating our expectations,” he said.

Stubbs also said that there are very few ties between the two companies, and that for students who may view this change as merely a nominal rebrand, “this is absolutely a transition to a different operating structure.”

However, due to their connection, Chartwells was able to assume the 10-year contract that Fresh Ideas had established, meaning that the terms of the contract, including the rates, remain unchanged.

While this administrative outlook paints a positive picture for the future of dining services at MC, the realities since the transition to Chartwells are not as rosy. Students have been served moldy bread and four-day-old macaroni and cheese. Menus haven’t been available online until recently, and general complaints about the food offered have continued the trend seen last year.

“Everytime I come in here, it’s a hodge podge of random things,” said Sarah Adams (‘28). She said that there are often a lot of side options, but not a lot of meat options. “I would like to see coherent meals in the future, instead of just rice and random slop on top of the rice… or a hamburger.” 

“You kind of have to scavenge the whole place to build a meal,” Adams said. “It’s like you have to gather all the ingredients and make something else.”

One opinion held on campus is that students should give the new provider a grace period as Chartwells management learns what students want and adapt to transitional challenges that arise during the first few months of the academic year.

“I think many students, myself included, were initially willing to give the new provider some time to adjust because we understood that implementing a new system would come with challenges,” Espinoza said. “However, we’re approaching midterms now, and I expected some of these issues to have been addressed by this point. I can’t speak for every student, but I do think some people may have held back criticism initially out of patience and a willingness to give the new provider a fair chance.”

When notified of student complaints, Stubbs encouraged them to continue to express their concerns, saying: “we don’t expect the students to hold off on their feedback.”

“Yes, Chartwells only took over the account on Aug. 1, so it’s been a challenge to get up to speed in that short amount of time. But that doesn’t change the fact that students were in classes and living here on those days, and they need to count on the dining experience to support their success here at the College,” he added.

In fact, feedback is encouraged, as it lets them know what issues need to be addressed. This semester, Stubbs said that feedback from students has enabled Chartwells to focus on keeping allergen information updated on the website. The website currently shows all menus planned at Pearsons through mid-October. 

A student I spoke to also mentioned that they wished the dessert table had better signage, specifically for allergens that are common in pastries.

“[Earlier in the semester], we did have someone express concerns for us not having a comment board,” Cummings said, explaining that they brought in a “HappyOrNot kiosk”.

“At the end of every week, it will send me a compiled report with all the recommendations,” Cummings said.

This kiosk is one way that students can express concerns and preferences.

In addition to student feedback, Stubbs and Cummings both serve on a Dining Advisory Committee composed of students and staff. This group consists of a student athlete, Athletic Director Andrew Wu, a representative from staff council, the chair of SGA campus life committee, and one at large student seat, held by Rayna Welsch (‘28), who Stubbs said is a “passionate advocate for students.”

Vickie Skates, Learning Commons coordinator started working at MC in September of 2024.

“I’ve been here for two years, and this makes the third provider,” Skates said. “The staff has always been phenomenal. I feel like I always get good service,” she said, noting Ms. Stacey and Mary Ann in particular. “They are always friendly and inviting and give you a great experience, despite all the changes.”

This sentiment was echoed by Hedrick, who noted that the staff has not changed much, and they remain welcoming and continue to show up for the students. 

“They make the dining hall what it is,” Hedrick said.

Chartwells is currently recruiting marketing interns, and has plans for a new “supper club,” pop-ups like the national cheeseburger day, which offered special toppings, and a new “Premium Night.” 

Cummings said that this would be a ticketed event where students can pay an $8 premium for a ticket that gives them access to a limited menu with special items.

If students are interested in working with Chartwells to market these new ideas as an internship opportunity, reach out to Paul Cummings or Ben Stubbs.

Online menus can be found at https://dineoncampus.com/maryville/whats-on-the-menu/maryville-college