Throughout this school year so far we have held many different events and promotions on campus for the students. In September, we welcomed the students back with a Bow-Tie Bash themed dinner. Students who participated by wearing a bow-tie were able to win a prize. The University also held the annual FirstFest, which is a welcome back festival with carnival rides, food and a concert. Every year we have a cookout for the event serving hot dogs, hamburgers, black bean burgers and more! Sean Kingston was the performer this year. We also started team member of the week. Every Friday, we choose a different team member who has gone above and beyond to be recognized and win a giftcard.

To start off October, we celebrated National Pumpkin Spice day with different pumpkin spice desserts at the bakery in the Dining Commons. Another event held in October was VegFest for National Vegetarian Month! We showcased many different healthy, plant-based and environmentally friendly recipes throughout the month provided by Metz. A representative from the Humane Society also stopped by the Dining Commons to talk about plant-based recipes and why considering making small choices in your diet can be beneficial for you and our environment. She showed us how to make  vegan pumpkin milkshakes and also brought some giveaways for the students! To end the month of October we held our Halloween themed dinner. The students loved the spooky themed food like ghouly guacamole, chicken sandwich monsters and and creepy desserts.

As soon as October came to an end, we had everything ready to roll for our Thanksgiving Pie Sale for November. All the proceeds raised went towards Adopt-A-Family of Niagara Falls. We also celebrated National Chinese Take Out day with $1 vegetable egg rolls at Fusion in the Gallagher Center. Then we had our Thanksgiving themed dinner with assortments of bread, mashed potatoes, vegan stuffing and of course, turkey! As soon as the students returned back to campus, we held our Second Annual Gingerbread House Competition! We had six student teams participate and they all made amazing houses. Then to end November strong, we started Holiday from the Everyday!

December was all about our Holiday from the Everyday Promotion and the Holiday Pie Sale! For our Holiday Pie Sale, we ended up raising over $600 for Adopt-A-Family of Niagara Falls. For Holiday from the Everyday, we offered a different promotion each day. The students loved breaking up their finals week to see what Metz had going on for the day!
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Day 1 was free cotton candy in the Dining Commons.
Day 2 was free sushi in the Dining Commons. A local restaurant called Steak, Stone & Sushi came to the Dining Commons and made the students sushi at Bravo!. The students loved it so much, we are bringing it back in March!
Day 3 was a hot chocolate bar in the Gallagher Center. Students could pick from an assortment of toppings including marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and toffee pieces.
Day 4 was home made gingerbread men at Just Desserts in the Dining Commons. 
Day 5 was National Cookie day so we decided to do cookie decorating in Lower Level Gallagher Center. 
For Day 6 we had a chocolate fountain in the Dining Commons with different fruits and cookies. 
Day 7 was breakfast smoothie bowls! Students could order different smoothie bowls from Bravo! in the Dining Commons from 11 to 2pm.
Day 8, students and faculty could enjoy two free deep fried oreos with a purchase of a combo meal at the Grill in the Gally. 
For Day 9, the students could enjoy festive desserts at Just Desserts in the Dining Commons. 
Day 10 was $1 off any combo meal at the Gally Grill all day long. 
For Day 11, students could dip their own apples in caramel or chocolate and choose from various  toppings. 
The last day, we sold $1 popcorn in the Grove. All the proceeds went towards Adopt-A-Family.
We also held two Late Nites in December right before finals week. The first Late Nite was De-Stress with Dips and Desserts. There was buffalo chicken wing dip, spinach and artichoke dip and so many desserts to choose from. The second Late Nite was Junk Food, so we served Pizza Logs, mozzarella sticks, root beer floats, fried pickles and so much more. To close out the semester, we had our Holiday Themed Dinner where we served the guests carved ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus and of course had holiday themed desserts made by our pastry chef. 
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January was the start of a new semester and a new concept in the Gallagher Center! We opened up Bravo!Express, which serves various smoothies, smoothie bowls, avocado toasts, and grain bowls. We served free samples with our Sample It program the first couple days and we even held a giveaway! The giveaway was to try and engage with students on social media and it ended up being a success! Another event the students enjoyed was our back to school themed dinner. We thought the Roaring 20’s theme was only fitting! The students enjoyed the pork loin wellington, lobster bisque soup and eggplant roulade and all our decorations to make this event look great!

To start off February, we celebrated National Carrot Cake day with some carrot cake at Just Desserts in the Dining Commons. We also celebrated Valentine’s Day with a themed dinner where we served grilled steaks, shrimp scampi, heart shaped cookies, and more! Another themed meal we had was our Mardi Gras lunch! For lunch, we served some New Orleans favorites, including jambalaya, cajun shrimp soup and cajun meatballs. We participated in a Mardi Gras tradition with the Kings Cake, where students who found a small plastic baby in their cupcake would win a prize!
   
​We have so many different upcoming promotions for the rest of the semester! In March, we have our March Mania Flex Sale to entice students to purchase more Gally Gold so they don't run out! Then in April we will celebrate Earth Week, where we reach out to local produce and dairy companies to come in to the Dining Commons to have table talks with students to show them how we support local farms  and bring merchandise for the students. Also in April is our Ultimate Campus Chef Competition! Sign ups for that will start at the end of March when we come back from spring break. To end the semester is Stress Relief Week, where students can come to different events to take a break from studying. We provide something fun and out of the ordinary so they can forget about studying for a little while. After Stress Relief week we will have our last themed dinner in May, Cinco de Mayo! Students will enjoy some Mexican favorites  such as tacos, nachos, queso and more!

​We can't wait  to see what the semester brings!

​There are two main ways for Residential students to pay when dining on campus, with Gally Gold and Meal Swipes. We have two options for Residential students to choose from. We also have two options for Commuters to choose from, varying in amount of entrances to the Dining Commons and the amount of Gally Gold. A new program we started this semester is Purple Spatula, which gives a student the option to cook a meal in the comfort of their home or apartment.
 
When a student swipes into the Dining Commons, they have different stations to choose from. There is a yogurt bar that serves fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. At the salad station called GreenScene, a student can make their own salads or try one of our exciting composed salads that we rotate daily. There are always two different types of soups served daily at DuJour. Served at the LiveWell station are gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options. We also have been showcasing the Beyond® Meat in different options, providing the vegan community here on campus some of their favorites such as cheeseburgers, stuffed peppers and Shepherd's Pie. At the Market Street Deli, students can make their own sandwich, panini or wrap. They can choose between different deli meats, tofu, vegetables, breads, spreads and sauces. Just Desserts has a various amount of cakes, cupcakes, brownies, pastries and an ice cream station. We also have many different vegan dessert options. Our ice cream comes from Perry’s Ice Cream®, a local company located right in Buffalo, only 35 miles from campus. Villa Toscana has different pastas and pizzas students can choose from. We also give the option of a vegetable or protein at the pasta station such as meatballs or steamed broccoli. Daily at the Grille, students can order chicken fingers, grilled chicken, burgers and cheese quesadillas. Main Plate offers students four to five options to choose from. These options are a variety of starch, vegetables and protein. Bravo! is an action station that allows students to watch a Metz team member prepare their meal in front of them. There are a multitude of toppings offered that can be chosen from or you can request all of them! Sometimes Bravo! offers chicken wings, tacos, milkshakes, or stir fry.
 
The Gallagher Center is our food court here on campus. The Gallagher Center has some different options such as Poblano’s, the Gally Grill, and Fusion as well as some more known brands such as Tim Horton’s® and Subway®. At the Gallagher Center, a student is allowed to use their Gally Gold, also known as flex dollars, to use at any of these concepts. Another great reason why students should add Gally Gold instead of using cash, credit or debit, or campus funds is because it is pre-taxed dollars so a guest will save that 8% on each transaction. At Subway, students can order subs, wraps or salads. Poblano’s offers rice bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and burritos. Poblano’s also has a daily special Monday-Friday providing a meal deal for a combo for guests. A favorite snack guests love is the queso and chips! At the Gally Grill, students can order chicken fingers, pizza logs, French fries, sweet potato fries, wraps, burgers and hot dogs. The Executive Chef, Marketing Manager, and Retail Manager have created an exciting rotation of two specials per day at the Grill to create combo meals. At Fusion, guests can create their own noodle bowl. They can choose their protein, noodles, veggies and broth that goes in it. We have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options available at Fusion as well. The Grove is the store in the Gallagher Center that has snacks, medicine and different beverages.

At The Grove, students can buy Purple Spatula meals to take home to learn how to cook. These are meal kits for easy cooking at home or in an apartment. Students can also buy microwavable meals to warm up if they are on the go. We have started this new Purple Spatula concept this semester and have noticed positive feedback especially on the microwavable meals as we are offering chicken tenders and pizza logs. Students can order coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and various baked goods at Tim Horton’s®. There is also a Tim Horton’s coffee nook in Bisgrove. Students can order iced coffee, coffee, hot chocolate and baked goods here as well.
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Metz Culinary Management understands the needs of the students and guests here at Niagara University, and we strive to ensure we provide delicious, healthy, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options. Whether a student is a commuter or a resident, they have the opportunity to be a part of a meal plan or to use Gally Gold whenever they are hungry

Metz Culinary Management is a family-driven company whose values are shown in day-to-day operations. The values are Hospitality, Fun, Integrity and Fairness, Quality, Balance, Respect and Caring. Metz is a company that celebrates the success of others and recognizes the best in the workers.

Metz is an amazing company, but it wouldn’t be what it is today without the employees. The workers are the heart of the company and without them, our facilities wouldn’t be able to run successfully on a day-to-day basis. Metz gives so many people endless opportunities when working for their company.

At Niagara, we value and appreciate all of our employee’s hard work that they do day in and day out. One employee that leaves an impression on everyone she interacts with is Danielle Kloosterman.

​Danielle has been working at Niagara University for almost 25 years. She has held many different positions throughout her time here. Danielle works at the ice cream station and always makes sure the desserts are filled. Danielle is always cautious about food allergies as they are very serious. She ensures guests know what is in their ice cream to prevent any issues. The one thing she loves most about her job is interacting with students and meeting new people. Danielle especially loves talking with ROTC and the Police Academy. She also comes in early before each shift to talk and tell us about her day and how much she enjoys working with us.

​Danielle said that this job has brought her countless opportunities and many new friends. One of her favorite memories is getting to know a new employee, showing them around our facility, and introducing them to other team members. Without Danielle, our guest experience wouldn’t be as special. We thank Danielle for her many years of service and many more to come!