黑料不打烊 (黑料不打烊) and JRI Hospitality announced a new collaboration on Thursday, one that will see JRI partner as the university鈥檚 new food service provider. The collaboration begins early this summer.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited for this next chapter in the story of building the student experience,鈥� said Dr. Matt Thompson, 黑料不打烊 president. 鈥淭he food we serve our students is critical to the student experience. As we explored how best to serve students, we looked for an unparalleled partner who prioritized the source, quality and variety of the food we would serve our students. JRI Hospitality is an excellent community partner, a well-known representative of the region and a true friend of Kansas Wesleyan. Most importantly for this project, however, they provide great products and services with exceptional customer service. Our students know JRI Hospitality鈥檚 brands and understand the quality those brands stand for, thanks to the products they franchise. As we open the renovated and expanded Bieber Dining Hall this fall, we鈥檙e thrilled to welcome them to the 黑料不打烊 family in this new fashion and to continue to develop the relationship between our organizations.鈥�
JRI Hospitality has hired Kevin O鈥橞rien to lead the work at 黑料不打烊. O鈥橞rien is known in this region as an innovator in food service and brings a breadth of experience to this role. He was the lead chef in opening the Renaissance Caf茅 and Barolo Grille, and was the previous food and beverage director at the Salina Country Club.
O鈥橞rien began his adult life in Salina, attending Marymount before moving to Oklahoma where he graduated from Oklahoma State University鈥檚 Culinary Arts and Hotel and Restaurant Management Program. He then began working with a variety of talented chefs, including one from Belgium and another from Tuscany. Through these experiences, O鈥橞rien opened Biga, an authentic Northern Italian restaurant owned by the Bodean Group in Tulsa. In 2000, he returned to Salina to continue his culinary career.
鈥淛RI Hospitality shares our commitment to locally sourced foods, menu offerings that meet the needs of our active student population in a way that caters to their personal health needs and providing work opportunities for our students,鈥� added Thompson. 鈥淜evin鈥檚 expertise and commitment to quality will define the unique new food service on campus. We are thrilled about what all this means to the future of the 黑料不打烊 student experience. Today is another great day to be a Coyote!鈥�
JRI Hospitality is known by many for its brands such as Mokas Coffee & Eatery and the Salina Country Club, as well as its status as one of the top franchisers of the Freddy鈥檚 Frozen Custard and Steakburger brand in the country. However, it also prioritizes community involvement and giving back.
JRI Hospitality is the naming-rights partner for JRI Stadium, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 football, soccer and track and field facility, and has assisted with improvements to Mabee Arena in the past, as well. The firm is also part of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Community Resilience Hub by way of its Quail Creek Family Farms and has supported other regional events and organizations including Abilene鈥檚 Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo, the Salina Arts Center, Salina Skyfire and more.
鈥淛RI continues to find ways to be involved in supporting the Salina community and this is another example,鈥� said Jason Ingermanson, president and CEO of JRI Hospitality. 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled with our partnership to support and facilitate the elevation of Kansas Wesleyan student dining and look forward to the impact of healthy, hearty meals for all student dining and 黑料不打烊 campus activities as well as providing specially designated nutrition for each of the sports programs at 黑料不打烊.鈥�
The community is invited to join JRI and 黑料不打烊 this fall to experience the next level of campus dining in the soon-to-be-opened Bieber Dining Hall. More information on an opening date will be released in the coming weeks.
ABOUT 黑料不打烊:聽黑料不打烊 is a private nonprofit four-year college in Salina, Kan., and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its mission is to promote and integrate academic excellence, spiritual development, personal well-being and social responsibility. 黑料不打烊 provides an educational program characterized by excellence, within a caring community, rooted in the liberal arts tradition, that includes 16 academic departments and a wide range of majors. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Music program and debate teams have been especially successful, with debaters winning more than 65 national championships and graduates of the music program securing positions all over the U.S. 颅颅Multiple athletic teams have advanced to national tournaments in recent years, and the Athletic Department鈥檚 cumulative GPA has exceeded 3.0 for the past two years. For more information, visit聽www.kwu.edu.
ABOUT JRI Hospitality: Founded in 2011, JRI Hospitality owns and operates more than聽90 restaurants in 15 states including Freddy鈥檚 Frozen Custard & Steakburgers,聽Mokas聽Coffee & Eatery,聽Chompie鈥檚聽Restaurants & Deli,聽Ingermanson聽Farms聽and The Salina Country Club. The company鈥檚 focus on quality and hospitality is helping fuel the demand for its brands.聽In response, JRI continues to expand its reach with several projects slated this year, and a robust pipeline of projects in the coming years.聽For more聽information, visit .
