At the University of Utah, campus dining is big business. In the 2025-26 school year, students experienced a variety of changes based on their feedback and then ultimately consumed 954,273 meals across the two primary residential dining locations: Kahlert Village and Peterson Heritage Center.

According to University of Utah Dining Services and Chartwells Higher Education, the totals reveal not only the scale of campus dining operations but also evolving student preferences over the course of the year as students explore new and different offerings and then settle into go-to favorites like chicken nuggets and hamburgers.

Those comfort foods ranked among the most popular menu items, with burgers topping the list with 120,660 orders, followed by quesadillas at 42,215 and chicken nuggets at 32,642. Burritos (21,966) and fried chicken sandwiches (17,246) rounded out the top five.

Beyond menu trends, the numbers also illustrate the sheer volume of food required to keep students at Utah’s flagship university satisfied.

French fries, a staple side item, accounted for nearly 1 million orders at Kahlert Village alone. In total, 972,000 servings of fries were prepared during the school year, requiring approximately 243,000 pounds of potatoes. To meet demand, potatoes were delivered in shipments of 75 cases three times per week, totaling about 6,750 pounds per delivery.

With all-day breakfast in high demand in several locations, it’s estimated that 55,588 pancakes were served during the academic year. At five inches each, those pancakes could stretch about 4.38 miles if placed end to end—roughly the distance from lower campus to the Natural History Museum of Utah.

Meanwhile, Peterson Heritage Center saw strong demand for birria tacos, racking up 34,376 taco orders during the year. At about six inches each, those tacos could wrap around the football field at Rice-Eccles Stadium approximately 17 times.

One of the most in-demand stations, however, wasn’t centered on traditional favorites. The “Delicious Without” station in Kahlert Village, offers meals free from nine major allergens, including soy, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, gluten, shellfish, sesame and fish, logged the highest number of orders overall: 128,287. More importantly, those numbers reflect the growing need for dining options that accommodate dietary restrictions.

While the figures may seem playful, university officials say they underscore a more serious point: the essential role campus dining plays in student life.

“Our vision is to deliver efficient, nutritious and convenient dining options all over campus, no matter where a student is,” said Sean Grube, Housing and Dining associate vice president.

Those dining spots also serve as gathering spaces and support systems for students throughout the year—whether they’re fueling before an exam, connecting with friends or powering through long study sessions.

For those still on campus and eager for their next burger or burrito, summer dining plans begin May 8 and can be used at Urban Bytes at Kahlert Village, grab and go from Peterson Heritage Center or meals at the Union.