Our Partners
Discover how Vol Dining collaborates with local partners and leads initiatives to foster sustainability and support our community.
UT Beef Program
Beef served within our dining halls and Big Orange Grill comes directly from the university’s farms at the Northeast Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center. The new and innovative project ensures students enjoy fresh, sustainably-raised meat that supports educational and agricultural research.
Learn About The ProgramLocal Sourcing and Partnerships
Vol Dining prioritizes buying locally, fostering relationships with Knoxville-area suppliers and regional suppliers to provide fresh, high-quality products while supporting the local economy.
Blue Hound Brew
Blue Hound Brew is a veteran-owned, UT alum-founded brand dedicated to raising the standard for canned coffee. With an emphasis on clean ingredients, organic dairy and carefully crafted flavor, their approach is simple…no shortcuts, just high-quality coffee designed for life on the go.
K Brew
K Brew is a local coffee shop founded by a UT alum, which serves high-quality coffee and bagels made fresh daily on Rocky Top.
KaTom Restaurant Supply
Located in East Tennessee, KaTom one of the nation’s largest restaurant equipment suppliers, an excellent partner for Vol Dining equipment needs.
Keoke Coffee Bar
Founded by a proud UT alum currently completing her MBA, Keoke Coffee Bar has grown from a beloved campus food truck to its first brick-and-mortar at Stokely Hall. Serving handcrafted coffee, plant-based energy drinks, and refreshing dirty sodas, Keoke’s mission is to make every guest feel seen, appreciated, and uplifted.
UT Creamery
A collaboration with the Herbert College of Agriculture and the College of Education, Health, and Human Science, the UT trains students and encourage interest in the dairying profession. Vol Dining proudly serves UT Creamery offerings at Big Orange Grill.
Food Trucks
We are proud to partner with local food trucks to provide different ethnic and unique offerings, while supporting many local businesses.
Genera: Sustainable Solutions
Founded in 2008 by a former UT agricultural and resource economist’s research project, Genera has become North America’s largest vertically integrated biomaterials manufacturer, producing a range of agricultural fiber packaging and bioproducts from locally grown regenerative crops.
Vol Dining partners with Genera for compostable single-use containers and other sustainable products, reducing plastic use and enhancing sustainability efforts on campus.
