sustainability in dining
See how local, responsible purchasing and waste minimization are key elements to our program.
Denison Hospitalty’s Commitment to Sustainability
Harvest Table Culinary Group, as the dining provider at Denison University, recognizes the significant impact that food systems have on the environment and the importance of sustainability in dining. Reduced food waste and plant-rich diets are among the most effective solutions to address global climate change, and we are committed to implementing practices that make a difference in the lives of the students we serve, the community we are a part of, and the planet we live on. Our culinarians prioritize utilizing high quality, fresh ingredients sourced in a responsible and ethical manner, developing innovative menus emphasizing plant-based foods, and keeping food waste out of the landfill.
Culinary Excellence
If the food we serve isn’t delicious, nutritious, and innovative we are not meeting the needs of our guests. Culinary excellence is a core value of Denison Hospitality and is rooted in sustainable practices. Fresh, seasonal, and responsibly sourced ingredients compose the best tasting meals, leaving guests satisfied and fueled to take charge of their lives here on The Hill and beyond for years to come.
Our Sustainable Practices
We prioritize local purchasing within 150 miles of our campus and highlight local products whenever we can on our menus, in our convenience stores and at events like Farm Table dinners.
We provide front-of-house composting for guests to scrape at The Table at Curtis along with a dish belt at The Table at Huffman for back-of-house sorting. Retail restaurants conduct back-of-house sorting and composting for pre-consumer waste.
We aim to feature and highlight plant-based options and always provide a vegan or vegetarian offering in all our restaurants. Our website has a filter to find these options on our menus.
Low carbon menu options such as Coolfood Meals, which are certified by the World Resources Institute, are noted in The Tables at Curtis and Huffman with the
Coolfood icon.
We are proud to feature reusable to go containers for zero cost at both The Tables at Curtis and Huffman, along with Slayter Market and Slivy’s, to help minimize waste, while featuring several destinations on campus to return and exchange boxes. As of Spring 2026 we also offer reusable cups at zero cost via the Grubhub mobile app accepted at Common Grounds and Greens N Grains smoothie bar at Slayter Market. Cups can be returned at any of the marked ‘Greenies’ return bins at The Tables at Curtis and Huffman, Slivy’s and outside of Slayter Market.
Both The Tables at Curtis and Huffman have Leanpath food waste trackers to manage all of our pre and post-consumer food waste. Guests can even see live date results based on the meal period at either restaurant.
We recycle both cardboard and paper in all of our restaurants, along with our fryer grease, through our partner FiltaFry.