October 27 Sushi and Flatbread Pizza at Nabo! Beginning Monday, October 27th, Nabo in Oren Gateway will start selling Fresh Made Sushi and Flatbread Pizza. This is all in part of the many choices and concepts we will continually bring to Augsburg College.

September 22 Augsburg College is Closing the Loop! Beginning Monday, September 22nd, Augsburg Dining Services in collaboration with Hennepin County will implement Composting and Recyling in the Commons. Come join us in this age of change for Augsburg College as we kick off our first Compost Collection Day. With your help Augsburg Dining will have specialized containers along with references to help us sort out what is compostable, biodegradable, and waste. It's just another one of the many things we as a community are trying to help reduce our carbon footprint, and we thank you for your help and cooperation.

August 31 Welcome back students! Today begins the start of Meal Plans in all of the Food Services areas. We hope you enjoy the new changes that have been made in all of the service areas: The Commons, Cooper's Coffee Shop, Murphy's Grill, and Nabo: A Neighborhood Cafe. Should you need further assistance with your meal plan, please contact Cyndy Rowe with Residence Life. If you have questions and/or concerns about your flex points, please contact augsburg@aviands.com. We sincerely hope that this academic school year is a success.

June 16 Today began the start of rennovations at The Commons. As the weeks progress towards the start of the Fall 08 Semester, The Commons will undergo a complete makeover. Construction will be in full swing throughout the summer and will be completed before the start of the Fall Semester.

As part of the rennovation, A'viands will also be adding more themed areas to give guests more options and choices. The Foodservice team promises to provide a culinary experience for the senses, making your campus dining experience something to rave about.

June 1 A new era begins. A'viands is officially the new provider of food services at Augsburg College.

Augsburg's new campus dining services provider is a Midwest-based company with "a passion to serve great food from great people." A'viands (the name means "a delectable dish") was selected this spring by a committee of faculty, staff, and students.

"We're thrilled to be at Augsburg," said president and COO, Rick Sorel. "This is our largest account, and we are excited about the sense of partnership we see here."

Though they didn't officially begin operations at Augsburg until June 1, Sorel and other members of the A'viands team have been on campus regularly in the past weeks preparing for the transition.

Sorel said A'viands is committed to providing variety, ethnically diverse food choices, and organic and locally grown foods. He added that they will also strive to support the community by providing internships and working to maintain Augsburg's Campus Kitchens program.

A'viands offers a comprehensive wellness program called "Fit Choices 4 Life." The program includes signage for healthy options on the daily menu, table tents, a nutritional education center, and a wellness challenge. They also plan to present periodic complimentary healthful cooking classes for the community.

In addition to new signage, Augsburg could see other changes in the main dining area including the removal of a wall and redesign of the serving area. While there will be new faces on campus, A'viands is retaining 45 of the previous Sodexo staff, so we're sure to see our favorite people at lunch time.

The company plans to set up a web site with a blog, menus, catering options, and to provide an opportunity for campus community members to give feedback. Augsburg's kitchen will also be used as a test market for new menu ideas.