In September, Carrie Frobe was named Interim Director of Campus Dining. Frobe was previously the Associate Director of Retail Dining, a role she had held since beginning her tenure at Syracuse University in October 2024. In that position, she managed all retail dining locations on campus, including campus cafes, convenience stores, and the food courts at Schine and Goldstein Student Centers.
In her new role, Frobe will oversee both retail and residential dining on campus and work closely with Campus Dining culinary and management teams to continue to provide convenient, nutritious, and delicious food to the Syracuse University community. She will report directly to Cheryl Fabrizi, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services.
She is excited to bring new ideas to the massive dining program at Syracuse, and she is also aware that she has her work cut out for her – she talks to students and parents on a regular basis and makes a point to hear their concerns.
We chatted with her about her first few weeks on the job:
What are you excited about introducing into the residential dining centers?
I think the best thing we can do is to build in more variety. Themed meals, station takeovers, and pop-ups are special and make students look forward to visiting the dining center. Recently we had a fall harvest dinner at Sadler, a baseball snack-themed night at Graham, and Sunday sundaes at Shaw.
I also want to work with our chefs and build the culinary aspect of our dining program. I want to make sure that our menus reflect what college students like and are looking to eat.
How about in the retail locations, like Schine Dining and in campus cafes? What can students expect to see there?
I am constantly working with our franchise partners – Starbucks, Dunkin’, Panda Express – to bring their items that are successful off campus, on campus for our students. And just like in our residential dining areas, we want to add more limited-time offerings, so that the menus are always changing and staying on-trend.
What happens when you receive negative feedback from students or parents? What actions should a student or parent take if they’d like to give feedback?
When I receive negative feedback, I typically call the parent or student right away, because I want to address and correct the problem right away. I’ll also meet with the student face-to-face, if possible.
Ideally, we also want the student to approach the management staff at the dining location in the moment to let them know about the issue, because that’s how the issue can be addressed and resolved immediately.
What’s a common concern you’ve heard since you’ve become interim director?
I’ve heard concerns from students that we’ve had a reduction in our staffing levels at residential dining centers. There has not been a reduction in staff in residential dining.
What we have been doing is looking at schedules and adjusting them so that right people are in the right spots at the right time. We’re shifting our people to cover the times when we are busiest, when the food needs to be made. What worked 10 years ago is not going to work now – schedules in residential have not changed much in the past several years.
How does Campus Dining hear from students?
We have so many ways for students to provide feedback! We offer surveys, which students have access to via QR code at each residential dining location. They can always send an email to mealtalk@syr.edu, which is our Campus Dining email address. Our leadership team hosts focus groups for students with special diets, including vegans, vegetarians, students who eat halal, and we are currently developing a kosher focus group.
Of course, we’d also love for students to talk to our managers and supervisors and chefs – they’re easy to spot in their white coats! It’s another one of my goals to host more “Meet the Manager” nights so that students develop real relationships with the people who are preparing their food night in and night out all year long.
What aspect of the Campus Dining program at Syracuse are you proudest of?
The freshness of the ingredients and the breadth of the options available. Our team purchases beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables – I was in awe of that when I arrived here. It’s not like that at every college dining facility, and I think that sets Syracuse apart.
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