TCU Dining Wins NACUFS Award For Allergy-Free Campus Eatery

Texas Christian University Dining has received the 2022 Loyal E. Horton Dining Award by National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) for its allergy-free campus eatery. This is TCU Dining’s first national recognition.

"TCU Dining is a program clearly in ascent,” said Jude Kiah, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs Administration. “We are humbled, proud, and excited to be nationally recognized for the development of our programs and we are looking forward to becoming a fixture on that award stage."

Magnolias Zero 7 received the bronze award in the retail sales - single concept category. All meals at Magnolias Zero 7 are always free of soy, egg, wheat/gluten, shellfish, dairy, and tree nut/peanut.

“The TCU Dining team receiving this award affirms their challenging work and the dedication they put into improving the student experience for all Horned Frogs,” said Miles Oller, director of Student Affairs Facilities. “It amazes me the way this team continues to support students with needs by making their experience almost identical to other students. A notable example of investing in every student’s experience.”

Meals at Magnolias Zero 7 are made fresh daily by a team of talented cooks who are all certified in AllerTrain, having completed an ANSI-accredited, manager-level, gluten-free and food allergy training course designed for those who serve food in a college or university setting.

The dining concept provides breakfast, lunch and dinner and its rotating menu is designed to produce diverse options reflective of the season.

The Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards is the ultimate professional tribute in college and university culinary arts. The award, named after a NACUFS founder, past president, and highly regarded innovator, celebrates exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning and new dining concepts. Selection for the award is highly competitive, peer-reviewed, and judged blind.

“In 2016, our resident dining hall offered an allergy-friendly station,” Scott Majestic, dining general manager, said. “However, students and families wanted a higher level of allergy safeguards. Magnolias Zero 7 was created in the fall of 2017 to fulfill the growing need for one-hundred percent allergy-free dining options.”

“The team worked tirelessly for the last five years researching, testing, experimenting and training to reach success and earn the trust we have with not only students but their families as well,” said Majestic.

Magnolias Zero 7 features an open kitchen where students can view all meals being prepared. All equipment, storage, ingredients, and cooler space are separated from the general kitchen to prevent cross-contamination.

“This kitchen provides endless opportunities to create made-from-scratch recipes that students love,” Swati Bharathi, dining marketing director, said.

Inherent in the Magnolias Zero 7 concept is nutrition and wellness. Students have access to the campus dietitian that works personally with students, and the nutrition department works closely with the dining team to educate the general student body.

According to Bharathi, the program brings a sense of safety and comfort to families of medically diagnosed students with food allergies. Students have constant contact with a dietitian throughout their time on campus.

“This program is also successful due to the trust and partnership of the Student Accommodation Department and TCU leadership,” said Bharathi. “It is one thing to design a new retail concept, but it is another to design a program laser-focused on protecting students’ lives.”