For all returning students at Colby, the shift in dining this year has been hard to miss. New menus, new events, and a noticeably different atmosphere have reshaped the everyday campus eating experience. A face behind that change is Jason Moyer, general manager for Parkhurst Dining, the College’s new dining service. I asked Moyer a few questions to better understand his role in shaping Colby’s dining experience.
Moyer begins each morning with a walk through every dining space before students arrive. “I come in, check on the dining team and the spaces to make sure everyone’s set up to succeed,” he said. During meal periods, he stays on the floor, talking with students and stepping in wherever he’s needed.
Moyer grew up in Pennsylvania and came to Colby to help Parkhurst open its newest partnership. Colby is his second dining operation, and he arrived ready to rebuild connections between students, staff, and the food they share. Those connections, he said, are what keep him energized. “Interacting with students to do special events” is the part of the job he enjoys most. Collaborations with clubs, residence halls, and students have shaped many of the dining hall events this fall.
The operation behind those events is bigger than most students realize. Colby Dining serves about 38,000 to 40,000 meals every week, a volume that means “a lot of moving parts across campus,” all depending on consistency and constant follow-through. Even so, Moyer sees room to grow and hopes this year is “the start of where we want to land,” with more student-led ideas and flexible spaces for new kinds of programming.
Ask him about food, though, and he doesn’t hesitate: General Tso’s Tofu is his favorite dish Colby dining serves. “It’s just really good,” he said. But the most rewarding moments in his role come from events that bring students together. He pointed to the murder mystery dinners held this past Thursday and Friday, when long planning sessions and student partnerships finally came to life. “After you go through all the planning and partnership with student groups and have a successful event and watch it happen and see student reaction, that is really what we’re here to do,” he said. “Once you get to the finish line, that right there is the reward.”
For Moyer, a memorable dining experience isn’t about any single meal. It’s about creating something students notice, enjoy, and feel part of, something that makes each return to the dining hall feel a little different from the year before.
When you can, remember how much work goes into feeding a whole campus, and take a moment to thank the staff who make it all possible!
~ Summer Woo `28
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