Attention all fraternities: there is a catering company out there who serves to please solely you guys. College Chefs is a culinary business whose target market is Greek life. Currently, they are serving at over 30 campuses across the country, mostly in the mid-west, and had a 100 percent customer retention this past year. What’s interesting about this company is that they are a catering company run by chefs, so they know the food-service industry inside and out. I took part in a group phone interview with the company spokesman, Dave Tarrant, along with writers from all over including The University of Texas, University of Oklahoma, etc. who were representing the Odyssey.

The company was started actually by chance in Champagne, Illinois. There weren’t a lot of employment opportunities for high-end chefs, so they decided to reach out to a new customer base: The Greek student population of The University of Illinois. With the growing success there, they have expanded tremendously expanded and now work for 75 different Greek organizations all over.

As the interview began, Mr. Tarrant was initially asked about what the mission of College Chefs’ was. He articulated this as serving “the healthiest, freshest food to and eliminating all processed foods to fraternities and sororities.” Tarrant described the advantages of College Chefs over competing businesses: “The chefs cook everything from scratch and purchase only high-end quality ingredients. They work with the organization to coordinate a meal plan according to preference.” What’s makes them unique too is that the chefs come up with their own meals instead of following a specific plan, allowing much more flexibility. It also shows the company’s talent since it is much harder to cook from scratch. This is something pretty important to consider. Their chefs are willing to listen to your input and adjust the meal plan week-by-week. Each chapter’s meal plan is unique. And with chefs being managed by other chefs, you know they hold the taste of their food to the highest marks.

In the long run, College Chefs are trying to become a household name, to be the most desired catering company by Greeks and chefs. However, they are taking this one step at a time, completely dedicating themselves to their current customers. Tarrant stated the company’s promise to customers is to “never miss a meal, something they take very seriously.” If there are unexpected storms or crises that occur, the management promises to take care of it so that you guys never go hungry. I’d say that’s putting everything on the line.

              If you’re unhappy with how things are going with your kitchen staff, you can check out their Facebook page by searching “College Chefs”, or you can take a look at their website [www.CollegeChefs.com]. With fresh, healthy, and tasty meals that you get to help plan, I think we all could agree that College Chefs deserves a chance to be serving your chapter.