About Us
We offer a variety of selections daily to accommodate students’ needs. We realize every person has different preferences, and we strive to provide every student with healthy and enjoyable meal choices. An operation’s culture personifies and personalizes a team’s existence. It offers feeling, caring, emotion, enthusiasm and passion for its mission.
Our Mission
Bates College Dining, Conferences and Campus Events supports the college mission by transforming dining and events into spaces for learning, connection, and community. We foster collaboration and growth by providing locally sourced, expertly prepared food. We are committed to student, faculty, staff, and alumni success while serving as responsible stewards of our environment.
An Award Winning Team
Bates College Dining Services’ high standards and commitment to excellence have earned us recognition for a job well done!
- 2026: Niche, Rated #7 Best College Food Service!
- 2025: D3 Direct, Rated #1 D3 Dining Hall!
- 2025: Rated #6 food service in the nation by the Princeton Review!
- 2025: Niche, Rated #6 Best College Food Service!
- 2024: Niche, Rated #7 Best College Food Service!
- 2023: Niche, Rated #1 Best College Food Service !
- 2022: Niche, Rated #6 Best Food Service!
- 2021: Niche, Rated #10 Best Food Service!
- 2020: Niche, Rated #5 Best Food Service!
- 2016-2017: Niche, A+ for campus food!
- 2013-2017: Green Restaurant Association – 3 Star Certified
- * The institution moved to AASHE (Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) Rating System for Sustainability. The AASHE Rating is TBD.
- 2009-2012: Green Restaurant Association – 2 Star Certified
- 2007: American Culinary Federation Maine Chapter, Inc. – Associate Member of the Year
- 2005: Princeton Review – #7 of 351 Colleges for Great Food!
- 2004: Princeton Review – #10 of 351 Colleges for Great Food!
- 2003: United States Environmental Protection Agency – Best Management Practices for our Composting Program
- 2002: Green Restaurant Association, Bates College Dining was the first College to become a member
- 2001: National Wildlife Federation – Leading School on their Report Card on Environmental Performance and Sustainability in Higher Education
- 2000: Stanton Environmental Award for Advancing the Goal of the Bates Green Action Plan
- 2000: Best of the Best Earth Day ReNew America National Award for Sustainability – category of waste prevention / recycling
- 1999: Special recipient of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Award for Environmental Leadership
- 1999: National Award for Sustainability – Recognized for best practices that encourage environmental sustainability by ReNew America and the President’s Council on Sustainable Development
- 1998: Recognized in “Greening the Ivory Tower” (MIT Press, 1998) a book by Sarah Hammond Creighton on best environmental practices among colleges, universities and other institutions.
Bates earned a Gold STARS rating and was in the top ten baccalaureate institution performers in the 2024 AASHE Sustainable Campus Index!
To read more about sustainability at Bates, be sure to check out the Bates Sustainability website.
Dining Contacts
Christine Schwartz
Associate VP for Dining, Conferences & Campus Events
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-8279
John M. Lajoie
Director of Dining Services
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-6052
Megan M. Couch
Associate Director of Dining Services
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-6299
Justin E. Good
Associate Director of Finance, Technology and Staff Support
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-6118
Michael Staffenski
Associate Director of Culinary & Retail Operations and Executive Chef
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-6334
Christopher P. Davis
Assistant Director of Culinary Operations
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-6301
Chrysta M. Coulombe
Associate Director of Catering & Campus Events
Dining, Conferences and Campus Events
207-786-8311