Yale University Dining Taps USF-Supplied Premier Healthcare Alliance


Yale Dining has 23 residential and retail dining operations on campus, an in-patient care facility, a central Bake Shop and a convenience store as well as extensive, upscale catering operations. It serves about 14,000 meals a day through residential and retail dining operations on its New Haven, Connecticut, campus.

“Competitive sourcing of goods and services is a key facet of our business optimization; it touches our finance, operation and sustainable practices. Over the years, I have found Premier to be a partner and together we have been finding creative solutions,” said Rafi Taherian, executive director of Yale Dining, who joined the university in 2008 when Yale Dining took over management of the university’s foodservice program.

Premier Continuum of Care vice president Joan Ralph, said, “We are quite pleased that an institution of Yale’s stature selected our programs and services. Our goal will be to help Yale meet its goal of providing superior food services to students, faculty, staff and guests while at the same time helping the university operate as cost-effectively as possible.”

Premier offers colleges and universities a unique portfolio of solutions to address budgetary and environmental challenges, maximize supply chain, free up money for enhancing services and program offerings, and address customer concerns about sustainable and healthy lifestyles.

The company negotiates committed contracts with manufacturers and suppliers on behalf of its members. It has more than 150 such agreements covering more than 60 product categories and in excess of 20,000 products.

Nearly 5,400 facilities including colleges and universities, K-12 schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities are affiliated with Premier’s 12-year-old foodservice program. It includes national distribution, discounted manufacturer agreements, technology and cost management solutions, as well as foodservice operational excellence programs.
The Premier Essentials program allows colleges and universities to aggregate purchasing power for savings opportunities on a wide range of products and services other than in food services.

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