About Dana Hospitality

UNBC contracts the services of a campus food services vendor. They provide exclusive Catering, Retail, and Dining Hall Services at the University (outside of spaces operated by the Northern Undergraduate Student Society).

After an extensive campus consultation, evaluation, and bid process, UNBC awarded the Food Services management contract to Dana Hospitality effective August 2020.  Dana Hospitality operates in 165 locations across Canada, including  twenty post-secondary institutions. They bring thirty years of quality, corporate food service to their new role at UNBC.


UNBC Dana HospitalityAs a proudly Canadian owned and managed company Dana Hospitality is dedicated to supporting local businesses and the communities in which they operate. They believe buying local is in the best interest of customers, clients, suppliers and providers, culinary teams and campus communities.

Dana Hospitality creates delicious and nutritious food. They make everything from scratch with fresh local ingredients, every day. This passion for preparing great meals is reflected in their brand belief, as they serve thousands of meals daily in locations across Canada.


Five Pillars of UNBC Food Services 

UNBC’s philosophy around provision of food includes the following five pillars. It is based on a foundation of positive student and employee experiences as a shared priority between UNBC and the campus food services vendor.

1. Indigenous Priorities
UNBC students and employees recognize and acknowledge the ancestors and the traditional territories of the First Nations. These are their lands where we offer education and learning.  The UNBC motto is ‘En cha huná, which means ‘respect for all living things’ in the Dakelh language. This motto encapsulates UNBC’s spirit and the principles of academic freedom. It includes respect for others, and the willingness to recognize different perspectives.  Substantial consultation with campus Indigenous communities is necessary for implementation of any and all Indigenous food components.  The food services vendor is expected to actively consider Indigenous needs.

2. Local and Sustainable
The food services vendor is required to work with the University to expand use of locally raised, grown, produced food. As Canada’s “Green University”, UNBC values sustainability in its many forms, including environmental and social.  Reduction of single use plastics, waste reduction, and sustainably, ethically and locally sourced food is important to the UNBC community. Food insecurity is also a community concern and UNBC Food Services plays a role in providing solutions.

3. Variety/Quality/Value
The UNBC campus community wants variety, quality and value from their Food Services. Quality of food offerings, variety of healthy choices, and price is a priority. The ability to handle special requests related to dietary restrictions is of utmost importance.

4. Nutrition and Dietary Restriction Awareness
The UNBC campus community reports having dietary restrictions based primarily on food-sensitivities, lifestyle choices, or allergies. Nutritional support, education tools, best practice in menu planning, and clear labelling are important to UNBC. Specifically, as these topics relate to dietary restrictions.

5. Engagement and Marketing
At UNBC community is a top priority. Much emphasis is placed on positive relationships, transparency, proactive communication and consultation with the campus population. Problems and challenges are best addressed through a process of collaboration. Every part of a team delivering food services at UNBC has responsibility to maximize these engagement processes.