The Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards is the ultimate professional tribute in college and university culinary arts. The award, named after a National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) founder, past president, and highly regarded innovator, celebrates exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning and new dining concepts. NACUFS celebrates the innovative ideas and successful implementation of these programs. The winners, broken down into small, medium, and large institutions, will have their entries displayed at the National Conference and award winners are recognized and celebrated during a luncheon, with an announcement of the Grand Prize winners. Grand Prize winners will also receive recognition in Campus Dining Today®, the official magazine of NACUFS. 

Entry for the 2025 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards is now open! 

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Rules and Criteria

The Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards is open to Institutional members only. In 2025, the categories are: 

Retail Sales: Single Concept of the Year
Retail Sales: Multiple Concepts of the Year
Retail Sales: Marketplace of the Year 
Catering Special Event of the Year
Residential Special Event of the Year
Catering Program of the Year
Renovation of the Year
Innovative Dining Program of the Year
Employee Development Program of the Year
Residential Dining Facility of the Year
Outreach & Education Program of the Year

Awarded to outstanding single concept retail facilities.

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: SUNY at Buffalo, Campus Dining and Shops

The winners in the Retail Sales: Single Concept of the Year for 2024 are:
 

Gold:   

SUNY at Buffalo, Campus Dining and Shops

SUNY Geneseo, Campus Auxiliary Services

Silver: 

Cal Poly - Pomona

Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo

Bronze: 

Carleton University

Stevens Institute of Technology

University of Arizona

University of Maryland

Awarded to outstanding multi-concept retail facilities.

The winners in the Retail Sales: Multiple Concepts of the Year category for 2024 are:

Awarded to outstanding marketplace concepts.

The winners in the Retail Sales: Marketplace of the Year category for 2024 are:

Awarded to a special event put on by the catering department of the university.

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: Marywood University

The winners in the Catering Special Event of the Year category for 2024 are:

Awarded to an outstanding event taking place in residential dining for its strong focus on the student experience.

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: University of North Texas

The winners in the Residential Special Event of the Year category for 2024 are:
 

Gold:

University of Montana

University of North Texas

Silver: 

Gettysburg College

Hendrix College

Monmouth University

Tufts University

University of Houston

University of Pennsylvania

University of Richmond

Bronze:

Carleton University

Pennsylvania State University

SUNY at Cortland

University of California – Davis

Awarded to outstanding catering programs who show value to their campus in everyday ways.

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: University of North Texas

The winners in the Catering Program of the Year category for 2024 are:
 

Awarded every other year to an outstanding new facility that opened within the previous two years (i.e., 2024 awards will be for new facilities in 2022 and 2023, 2026 awards for 2024 and 2025).

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: Liberty University 

The winner in the New Facility of the Year category for 2024 is:
 

Awarded to dining programs who were forward thinking in all aspects of their operation, including, but not limited to, technology, menu, guest experience, student affordability, staffing, and employee development.

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: University of North Texas

The winners in the Innovative Dining Program of the Year category for 2024 are:
 

Awarded to dining programs who place an emphasis on growing and developing their team at all levels.

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: University of California - Davis

The winners in the Employee Development Program of the Year category for 2024 are:
 

Awarded to an outstanding dining facility that encapsulates the spirit of enhancing the student experience. The facility does not need to be new to enter and can be entered in multiple years. Second entries and onward must highlight new aspects of the operation that were created to enhance the student/guest experience in the facility (i.e., staffing improvements, technology improvements, menu changes, educational programming).

The 2024 Grand Prize Winner: Liberty University 

The winners in the Residential Dining Facility of the Year category for 2024 are: