By: Alena Miklosovic, Michigan Dining Marketing and Communications Intern

Ann Arbor has long been revered for its wide variety of amazing local restaurants. People travel from all over to try a Taste of India samosa or a Jamaican Jerk Pit plantain, and downtown is often packed with hungry Ann Arborites. The students, faculty, and staff of the University of Michigan are lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful cuisine. But in the craziness of the academic year, it can be hard for the University community to be able to enjoy the plethora of restaurants that surround them. For the last several years, Michigan Dining has worked to bridge that gap through its Local Flavor Program. Rather than students having to travel off campus to get to restaurants, Michigan Dining has brought the restaurants to them.

At Maizie’s Kitchen & Market on Central Campus and Fireside Café on North Campus, a rotating lineup of local vendors serves their signature dishes throughout the week. Pop-ups operate weekdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and each day, two or three different restaurants serve dishes from their menu. Students can use their Dining Dollars or Blue Bucks at the pop-ups, expanding their options beyond the dining halls. Rich Beswick and Brian Kearfott, who direct the program on Central Campus and North Campus, respectively, want to provide local restaurants a mutually beneficial way to serve the University community. The restaurants get to share their cuisine, gain exposure, and expand their customer base, all while reducing labor costs for Michigan Dining.

“We want to provide local restaurants an avenue to meet the needs of our customers … and to showcase just a little bit of their key menu items that they like to serve at their restaurant,” Beswick said. “The ultimate goal is for the students, faculty, and staff to actually go to their brick-and-mortar location to be able to partake in their entire menu. It’s mainly for them to gain exposure.”

Supporting local businesses is always important, and it is especially beneficial for restaurants to have the support of an institution like the University. Restaurants are notoriously hard to keep running, and when the economy suffers, local restaurants are some of the businesses that are affected the most. 

“It’s a big bonus for them to have this revenue stream,” Kearfott said. “Local and small businesses, they are at the whims of the economy more than anyone else. They don’t have that safety net, so having this avenue for them really gives them a little bit of blanket security.”

The program started slowly, with just five participating vendors and one location. It was difficult to get the word out, but once it was out, vendors from all over the Ann Arbor area wanted to be involved. Now, there are eighteen vendors who contribute to the thriving Local Flavor Program.

“Jumping from five to eighteen is a pretty big jump,” Beswick said. “It is difficult to get restaurants onto campus, so to make this happen, I went door-to-door with restaurants in the area and reached out and spoke to owners and managers to try to see if they would be interested in coming onto campus.”

Michigan Dining is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and enriching space at its tables that nourishes the campus community’s well-being, promotes a sense of belonging, and encourages personal growth through global cuisine and education. Because the program has so many vendors who want to work with them, the team is able to carefully select each Local Flavor vendor to align with those values.

“We want to make sure that when they’re here, they’re representing us, even though they’re serving their own food,” Beswick explained. 

One of Michigan Dining’s longest-standing goals has been to highlight the diversity of cultures that exist in Ann Arbor and throughout Southeast Michigan. Each culture has unique traditions and customs, and with those come unique foods. Beswick and Kearfott try to choose vendors that showcase a variety of cuisines so that students and staff have the opportunity to try a wide range of different foods. For example, the program is excited that Maiz Cantina will soon be participating, bringing their popular Mexican flavors to North and Central campuses. Pita Express will also soon be serving Mediterranean food, which has never been highlighted through the Local Flavor Program before. Students are excited that these long-loved Ann Arbor restaurants will be available to them on campus. For some, it provides them with a taste of home, which might be very far away. Others are excited for the opportunity to expand their palate or enjoy their college-town favorites without actually having to travel to the restaurant.

“It really shows how diverse this area really is, and how many different types of restaurants and cuisines we have here in the area,” Beswick said. “And, by having so many different cuisines, we’re able to meet our diverse student population. … We’re providing that opportunity to make it so people feel like (they) are at home when (they are) at the University of Michigan.”

In addition to perpetuating a culture of diversity and acceptance through their vendor choices, the Local Flavor Program also serves students in a more direct way. Beswick and Kearfott work with Amanda Ewing, director of culture and engagement at Michigan Dining, to connect students with program vendors that meet cultural or dietary needs. For example, if a Muslim student group was looking for a vendor who served halal food, the Local Flavor Program and Ewing might be able to help them.

“If some of the student orgs are looking for different cuisines that would meet what they need, Amanda does reach out to say, ‘Do you have anyone who serves halal?’” Beswick said. “And then, we will let them know of the restaurants, and that if they would like to, I’m happy to reach out to them to make the connection. I get really excited when we’re able to do that because it really makes them feel like this is a part of their home and that we really care about their culture.”

Looking toward the future, Kearfott and Beswick are excited to add even more vendors to the mix. They are hoping to launch an application on the Michigan Dining website, which will make it even easier for restaurants to reach out and apply to participate in the Local Flavor Program. 

“We’re always looking for more vendors,” Beswick said. ”We have endless opportunities moving forward.”