Less meat, more meal vending machines: this is the new catering offer at the UvA
The UvA’s new catering offer has been announced. From January, main caterer Cirfood will make way for a wide range of new entrepreneurs. This means more meal vending machines, more food trucks and fewer meat options at the university.
Catering at the UvA is undergoing a major overhaul. After ten years, Cirfood’s catering at the UvA will come to an end on 1 January 2027. Earlier this year, the UvA announced that it would not be renewing its contract with the Italian catering giant and said that all catering on the UvA campuses would be provided by local entrepreneurs. Today, the university announced who those entrepreneurs will be.
The new catering offer is part of the “new management model” through which the UvA is taking catering back into its own hands. Previously, half of the catering at the UvA was provided by Cirfood itself, and the other half by local entrepreneurs employed by Cirfood. From 2027, catering will be provided exclusively by local entrepreneurs employed by the UvA. Cirfood will remain involved, but this time as the university’s management partner. Over the past year, a tender procedure was held in which existing entrepreneurs had to earn their place again and new entrepreneurs could also submit proposals.
Catering vision
The new management model follows from the UvA’s new “catering vision”, which was drawn up on the basis of surveys conducted by Facility Services among staff and students. The UvA wants to make catering “more affordable, healthier and more sustainable” and to create “lively campuses”. All entrepreneurs will offer at least one “nutritious and healthy budget option” and additionally organise tastings, pilot schemes and workshops on campus.
Which catering goes where? An overview by campus:
Roeterseiland Campus
REC-A
In the A building, Food Atelier NomNom, currently found as a food stand in the canteen of the H building, will run the takeaway shop. The Vietnamese eatery will take over from the Grab & Go Kiosk in the building’s central hall. REC-A will also get vending machines with “fresh hot and cold meals”.
REC-C (De Brug)
De Brug will also get several providers of what the UvA calls “fresh vending”: meals from vending machines. These will be healthy cold and hot meals from Fit’zeria, and sandwiches, wraps and snacks from Pita Chef.
REC-H
The food court in the H building will also get a new line-up, with a strong focus on Asian dishes. Stichting De Nieuwe Mensa will remain, as will the Italian restaurant Parravano’s. The other spots will be taken by Memories of Damascus (Syrian-Lebanese), Restaurant Sufra (Middle Eastern) and MeMe (Vietnamese). Christoffel Company will supply a variety of sandwiches.
REC J/K
The Coffee Star in the J/K building will make way for the chain Wakuli. In addition, there will be a vegan food truck selling oyster mushroom products from Haarlemse Parels.
Café De Krater will remain on the Roeterseiland Campus in 2027. The Anatolia Kumpir food truck will disappear, and a new food truck will take its place: Warme Pretzel.
Science Park
Science Park 904
The main building on the Science Park campus will get a new branch of De Sering, a fully vegan community kitchen. Darras Coffee (coffee and sandwiches) and Italieno (Italian) will return. The UvA has also chosen Padi Emas (Asian) and Tree of Dates (sandwiches). The Old Soul (Surinamese) is moving from Lab 42 to the 904 building. KIMBAB, among others, will leave Science Park.
Lab 42
The departure of The Old Soul from the Lab 42 building will be made up for by Parravano’s. The Italian restaurant, which will also remain at the H building on REC, will run the café from 2027. Vending machines from Pita Chef will also be installed here.
A suitable entrepreneur is still being sought for Amsterdam University College, according to the UvA.
Universiteitskwartier and city centre
Oudemanhuispoort
Restaurant Brio will open in the spot where Amsterbammetjes was until recently, and Danish Betty since September. From their “all-day food stand”, they will offer coffee, sandwiches and dishes, among other things.
Bushuis
As on the Roeterseiland Campus, the Bushuis will get meal vending machines from Fit’zeria, here with sandwiches, wraps and snacks.
P.C. Hoofthuis
Coffee chain Barista Café will open in the spot currently occupied by Smeer ‘em. Sandwiches and other dishes will also be available there.
University Library
In the University Library, espresso bar Darras Coffee and the Wonderbot vending machine will return to their current spot. Pendisa will join them with a vending machine stocked with sandwiches, snacks and wraps.
