New Catering Service Brings Restaurant-Quality Experience, Personalized App for Meal Services to Campus

Meal times at St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVOTS) have been completely transformed with a distinctly new look and flavor this academic year. 

This is thanks in large part to a new partnership with FLIK Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Compass Group USA—one of the largest hospitality providers in the world. FLIK began managing food and catering services on campus at the start of this academic year. 

FLIK’s partnership with the Seminary not only brings with it new menus and services, but also a revamped and updated kitchen and eating space in SVOTS’ Germack building refectory. These improvements are thanks to considerable capital investments from both FLIK and St Vladimir’s Seminary.

The enhancements to the student dining experience are the result of a long and deliberate, collaborative process led by the Dean and the Associate Dean of Residential Life. Together, they continuously collected feedback and input from students on their needs and experiences during the last academic year. They also relied on the advisory support and guidance of other members of the administration, as well as outside culinary experts, in a rigorous process of discovery and design.

“The process of bringing FLIK to St. Vladimir’s Seminary was one that took more than half a year of diligent research and planning—countless hours listening to students, exploring multiple possibilities, and ensuring the appropriate financial and logistics preparation—in order to give seminarians and their families the best experience possible,” said SVOTS Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie. “It was a tremendous amount of work, and I believe was essential for the community here in Crestwood. I am grateful to my colleagues and partners for their focus on this important part of our student, faculty, and visitor experience”

“We have been impressed with FLIK in every regard,” said The Rev. Dn. Dr. Harrison Basil Russin, SVOTS’ Associate Dean for Residential Life. “The quality of their food is very high, and their professionalism and business communication is admirable. They have been investing in our seminary kitchen and refectory, and it looks like a different and improved space.”

Dr. Tudorie and Seminary staff undertook a careful interview process of several providers, guided in part by the expertise of former student Matthew Nelson (M. Div. ’25), in addition to the recommendations of other local institutions.

SVOTS was especially pleased to pursue references and its own assessment of FLIK’S food service experience by visiting institutions that FLIK already serves. SVOTS was referred to FLIK by several groups, including St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Seminary in Yonkers (Dunwoodie). FLIK provides the catering and meal service for many institutions in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

 

The new kitchen staff, led by chef Hector Morales, sous-chef Joe Gatzmer, and Hugolina Vidals Ponce, take over from longtime seminary Chef, Nat Fasciani.

“We are so grateful to Chef Nat for his service to St. Vladimir’s Seminary over the past 20 years.” said Dr. Tudorie. “He has been a beloved member of our community, is an SVS Press author, and was the driving force behind nearly all of our community events. Thank you, Chef Nat!”

 

The new meal service will include a number of changes, such as expanded meals—notably including the offering of breakfast six days per week (except Sundays or feast days when Divine Liturgy is celebrated). 

A final component of the enhanced food services experience is a custom digital application, which provides the community (including faculty, staff, and visiting married students who are not on the meal plan) with a practical and easy-to-use tool for meal reservations. This concept and execution were made possible through the personal generosity and investment of longtime donors and Trustees Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey D. Hoff. The reservation system allows the food services staff to manage resources, streamlines kitchen operations and the student experience, and enables flexibility for take-out for community members who are unable to be seated with the community for any given meal. 

 

“The positive feedback from seminarians and faculty has been overwhelming, and this is so important for us to know—that we are serving them well and getting it right,” added Dr. Tudorie. 

 

“Here at the seminary, we look to create connection and build relationships in our community. Partnering with FLIK is an essential investment in the student experience, in fellowship, and in food quality and standards. We look forward to our continued partnership in this service.”