Welcome To Our Table
Some of the best food in the state is served right here at the University of Montana! From our all-you-care-to-eat dining center and our Food Court to the many coffee shops across campus, you’ll enjoy chef-crafted food that’s fresh, nutritious, convenient and craveable. We’re your kitchen, place to unwind, study, fuel up, rejuvenate and enjoy a meal with friends during your time on campus.
UM Campus Dining is a team of highly skilled chefs and professionals and over 400 incredible student employees whose primary mission is to help you succeed and enjoy your time at UM.
We take pride in our role as UM’s exclusive foodservice – providing meals, refreshment and hospitality to UM departments, student groups and visitors throughout the year. UM Concessions serves thousands of sports fans and concert-goers. We cater every UM event, from cookies and coffee to exquisite banquets. We are committed to serving local products grown and raised in Montana and hyper-local produce from our own gardens.
UM Campus Dining is a faithful supporter of Montana’s agricultural economy as well as food banks. You’ll have multiple opportunities to join our outreach efforts and make a difference in the world!
There Are Never Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
It takes a small army of culinary professionals to feed a pack of hungry grizzlies. Meet just a few of our dining professionals who bring their diverse expertise to the table.
Trail Bundy
As the marketing and communications manager for Campus Dining, Trail Bundy knows how to get to the heart of what makes his department special. “Our staff is here to ensure students have a phenomenal experience dining on campus, but also to have fun,” says Bundy referring to their late night breakfast-karaoke event as an example. “We’re more than food, we’re family!”
Katie Helms
Katie Helm, manager of coffee operations, can often be found peddling, literally, her wares around campus. As purveyor of one of the campus’s most valued commodities, Helms takes pride in not only brewing up some 45,000 gallons of java each year, but using her delivery bike to reduce fuel consumption by 150 gallons a year and carbon emissions by 1.3 metric tons. “We have a great program, our Dollar Coffee Club, which has saved over 31,000 cups from ending up in the landfill last year," she says. "And, through the membership fee, we hand out student scholarships each semester.”
Ray Merseal
As University Center food court manager, Ray Merseal keeps many of UM’s favorite dining establishments — from the Pizza Hut to Doc’s Sandwich Shop — running smoothly and safely. He hopes all students come to share Campus Dining’s passionate commitment to sustainability. “Yes, we support local farms and ranchers as well as grow much of our own food,” he says, “but we also put a lot of effort into reducing waste, recycling all materials we can and composting as much pre-consumer and post-consumer waste that we can capture.”
Jesse Mayer
As executive sous chef of UM’s Iron Griz restaurant, Jesse Mayer mentors a student-centric workforce that is learning the finer details of fine dining. They gain important skills, like understanding the complexities of wine and beer and how to pair them with foods, navigating a crowded kitchen at dinner rush, using knives safely. A UM alum, Mayer and his team serve locally sourced beverages and foods, many harvested from the Iron Griz garden. And what is Mayer’s favorite dish, right now? “Fried green BLT bites or the shrimp and grits,” he says.
Stasia Orkwiszewski
Anastasia Orkwiszewski, Campus Dining’s garden manager, oversees a 1/2-acre urban spread of vegetables, fruit trees and flowers — as well as an apiary and flock of egg-laying ducks — products from which all go toward supplying dining outlets across campus. Orkwiszewski, though, does more than serve as UM’s farmer, she also plays a valuable role in promoting sustainability to tour groups.
Bob Stevens
Like a lot of people who work in the dining industry, Bob Stevens started his food career at UM in pots and pans. That was 32 years ago and the Navy veteran was attending UM on the GI Bill. Today, he serves as Facilities Manager of the Emma B. Lommasson Center, home to the campus’s beloved Food Zoo and its “all-you-can-eat” menu options. Much has changed over the years, Stevens said, but one thing is for certain— the food options are a lot tastier and more diverse than ever.
21
Unique dining concepts
3,000
pounds of fresh produce grown every year within our two on-campus diversified gardens
400
student employees are hired every year
100%
of post-consumer waste composted in our main dining hall
Sustainable Campus Partner
UM Campus Dining is committed to acting as an essential and sustainable component to the greater campus community, which is why we coordinate programs like nutrition counseling, on-campus agriculture, and special environmental initiatives. We want students to get the most out of both their food and their time on campus, and we want them to feel good about doing it.
UM Catering
UM Catering's goal is to provide you an exceptional dining experience with delicious, fresh foods, creative menus and friendly, professional service. Whether your occasion is a small continental breakfast or a gala reception for 1,000 guests, our catering staff will provide a menu and service style to meet your budget. Our catering menu features local and regional favorites and we're committed to customizing your dining experience to suit your unique occasion.
