Plant-Based Chef-In-Residence
Chef Lauren Montelbano of The Vibrant Veg joined us for a year to increase availability of vegetarian, vegan, and low-carbon food options throughout our dining locations and promote education on plant-based diets.
Local Food Sourcing
We are proud to prioritize local food vendors and manufacturers to support local economies and reduce our carbon footprint.
- Babcock Dairy
- Varsity Meats
- Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream
- Klement’s Sausage Company
- Johnsonville
- Odessey Yogurts
- Parfection Produce
- Roth Cheese
- Neesvig’s
- Fortune Fish
- Brake bush
- V. Marchese Produce
- Best Maid Cookie Company
- Rocky Rococo
- Karben4
- Midwest Foods
- Sargento Cheese
- Elegant Foods LLC
- Kaufhold’s Kurds
- Bakers Quality
- Foremost Farms
- Golden Home Bakery
- Fox Heritage Foods
- Golden Produce
- Vitruvian
- Badger Popcorn & Concession Supply Co.
- Palermo Pizza
- Wisco Industries
- Coffee Werks
- Delta Beer
- Ian’s Pizza
- Porchlight Products
Advancing Food Security
Learn about our initiatives related to reducing food waste and distributing surplus food to those in need.
Food Recovery Network
The Food Recovery Network is an organization of student volunteers dedicated to food sustainability and equity. The Wisconsin Union donates leftover food from events to the Food Recovery network for delivery to organizations in need.
Swipe Out Hunger
We partner with the campus-wide Swipe Out Hunger Campaign, which is dedicated to ending food insecurity throughout college campuses.
In all of our dining locations, students can donate $1.00 to students in need with their purchase.
The Open Seat Food Pantry Partner
We have partnered with the Open Seat Food Pantry on the 2025 Limited-Edition Mini Terrace Chair. A portion of the proceeds will help the Open Seat Food Pantry provide food for 1,500 UW-Madison households every month.
Smart Food Planning
To avoid spoilage, over-ordering, and food waste, we forecast recipe quantities to anticipate demand and manage product inventories weekly.