Carter Henman
chenman@uwyo.edu
If students on campus want to have an event catered by anybody besides UW Catering or the Union Food Court, they have to assure the business is approved by UW Procurement Services.
According to UniReg 2-178, UW Catering is guaranteed the right of first refusal for catering UW events.
It is their policy however, according to the CAC’s official RSO handbook, to waive that right if RSOs wish to seek catering service from an external vendor.
However, that vendor has to be approved by UW Procurement Services beforehand.
“Vendors for the most part do that after they’ve been contacted by somebody to do an event,” Martha Miller, Procurement Services manager, said.
Dwight Roweol, co-owner of O’Dwyer’s Pub and the Black Kilt, said he is a little more proactive about the process.
“I’ve been doing catering on campus, food and liquor, for 15 to 20 years,” Roweol said. “The university is great to work with.”
The requirements for getting a contract approved are pretty minimal, Miller said. The restaurant just has to sign the contract and submit paperwork to prove it has liability insurance and a food license from the state.
Roweol said dealing with the bureaucracy is well worthwhile given the benefits that catering on campus provides to his business.
“There is a profit value to it, but it’s more about getting the name out there and letting people know that ‘Yes, we cater and yes, we can do your event,’” Roweol said.
The CAC advises RSOs to try to select a caterer from the list of pre-approved vendors on the Procurement Services webpage.
The list includes a number of local Laramie businesses, including Altitude Chophouse and Grand Avenue Pizza, along with both of the Subway locations in town. The Bengal Buffet in Aurora, CO is even on the list.
This past April the Anime Club Laramie chapter, a UW RSO that seeks to promote engagement with Japanese culture through viewing Anime, hosted an anime convention in the Union.
Noah Miles teaches Japanese language courses at UW and also serves as the Anime Club’s faculty advisor.
One of the major attractions at Kit Con, Miles said, was the availability of free authentic Japanese food catered by Niko Sushi and Steak.
Members of the RSO said they are planning on hosting the event again this spring, food and all.
However, if the club decides to get it catered by Niko again, they will have to renew their contract with UW Procurement Services. Niko Sushi and Steak is no longer on the list of approved caterers.
Miller said that is because catering contracts signed within a two-year contract period expire at the end of that period, not two years from when the contract was signed.
