Burge Marketplace

What Burge Marketplace does

University Housing and Dining is the dining services department of The University of Iowa's Division of Student Life, operating as a non-commercial institutional unit under the Iowa Board of Regents. It runs 19 on-campus dining locations in Iowa City, anchored by three all-you-care-to-eat market places (Burge, Catlett, Hillcrest) located in residence halls on the east and west sides of campus, supplemented by 16 retail/cafe locations, a convenience store network inside residence halls, a late-night grill, and the Street Hawk Food Truck. The operation serves more than 10,000 meals per day and is the largest student employer on campus with 1,200+ student workers.

The core technology and service stack combines a prepaid meal plan system (Unlimited, Block 160, Weekly 14, and Block 50 plans) with declining-balance Dining Dollars accessed via the Iowa One Card. Supporting technology includes the Nutrislice platform for online menu and allergen/nutrition filtering, the Market2Go reusable container takeout program, and food pulper systems that reclaim 2.25 million gallons of water per year. Local sourcing from 20+ Iowa farms within a 250-mile radius and a sustainability program dating to 2007 (composting 450,000 lbs annually) round out the operational footprint.

Revenue is generated through semester-based meal plan subscriptions ($875–$2,417.50 per semester depending on tier), pre-purchased Dining Dollar packages ($250/$500/$750), walk-in guest meals ($10 breakfast, $14 lunch/dinner), bulk meal ticket sales to university departments, camps, and conferences (with a 2.5% processing fee effective August 2024), university catering across major campus venues, gift cards, and a 2.5% administrative fee on meal ticket orders. As a public university department, UHD is not a standalone investable entity and operates under institutional governance rather than equity ownership structures.

Name

Burge Marketplace

Legal name

University Housing and Dining, The University of Iowa

Website

https://dining.uiowa.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

University Housing and Dining operates 19 on-campus dining locations serving University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff through mandatory and optional meal plans, retail cafes, a food truck, catering, and walk-in services anchored by three all-you-care-to-eat market places.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Campus Dining Services

NAICS

Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Dining & Meal Plans (EDALADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Dining & Meal Plan Coordination (In-Hall/Adjacent) (EDAEAFAK), Retail Dining & Quick Service (On-Campus) (EDALADAB), Food Service & Dining Operations Management (Managed Cafeterias) (EDAEALAG)

Keywords

• Campus dining services
• Meal plan services
• University food services
• Retail dining locations
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Iowa City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Meal Plan Subscriptions: Semester-based meal plans (Unlimited, Block 160, Weekly 14, Block 50) providing meal swipes for market places and dining dollars for retail locations
2. Walk-in/Guest Meals: Pay-per-visit meals at market places for non-meal-plan customers: $10 breakfast, $14 lunch/dinner
3. Dining Dollar Packages: Pre-purchased dining dollar plans ($250, $500, $750) for declining balance use at retail locations
4. Gift Cards: Gift cards loaded with $5-$50 for use at all UI dining retail and market place locations
5. Meal Tickets: Bulk meal ticket purchases for university affiliates, camps, and conferences using university MFK accounts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Burge Marketplace, part of University Housing and Dining at The University of Iowa, operates on-campus dining services including all-you-care-to-eat market places, retail cafés, convenience stores, and a food truck serving students, faculty, and staff. The operation serves over 10,000 meals daily across 19 dining locations, supported by 17 staff and more than 1,200 student employees, offering residential meal plans, retail purchases, and catering services.

Product overview

University Housing and Dining operates a comprehensive campus dining network consisting of three all-you-care-to-eat Market Places (Burge, Catlett, and Hillcrest) serving as the core dining facilities, supplemented by numerous retail locations including cafes, convenience stores, a food truck, and a late-night grill. The service is built around a meal plan system (Unlimited, Block 160, Weekly 14, and Block 50 plans) combined with Dining Dollars for retail purchases. Key programs include the Market2Go sustainable to-go initiative, comprehensive nutrition and allergen labeling via Nutrislice, and special dietary accommodation services with registered dietitian support. The operation serves the University of Iowa campus community through 19 distinct dining locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burge Market Place: All-you-care-to-eat dining location in Burge Residence Hall on the east side of campus, featuring multiple food stations and nut-free environment.
• Catlett Market Place
• Hillcrest Market Place
• Market2Go
• Street Hawk Food Truck

Products and services

• Burge Market Place

Quantifiable outcome

• Water savings of 2.25 million gallons per year through food pulpers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Anderson EriksoncoreOthersLocal Iowa dairy supplier providing dairy products for campus dining locations; Majority of dairy products are produced locally
• Farmers HenhousecoreOthersLocal Iowa supplier contributing to the university's commitment to purchasing from local farmers and vendors within 250-mile radius
• Field to Family Food HubcoreOthersLocal food hub connecting Iowa producers with institutional buyers like the university for fresher, locally-sourced food products
• Great River MaplecoreOthersLocal Iowa maple syrup producer supplying campus dining with locally-produced ingredients
• La QuerciacoreOthersLocal Iowa artisan producer of cured meats contributing to local sourcing initiatives within 250-mile radius
• Oasis Iowa CitycoreOthersLocal Iowa City restaurant and food producer supplying falafel products to Food for Thought Cafe
• Old Capitol Food CompanycoreOthersLocal food vendor contributing to the university's local purchasing from over 20 Iowa farmers, orchardists, growers, and vendors
• Organic GreenscoreOthersLocal Iowa supplier of fresh greens and produce for campus dining, supporting sustainable and local food initiatives
• Sysco Food Services of IowaminorOthersRegional food distribution services partner supplying additional food products beyond local sourcing
• Wilson's Apple OrchardcoreOthersLocal Iowa orchard supplying fresh produce for campus dining as part of the 20+ local vendor partnerships within 250-mile radius
• NutrislicecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform provider enabling menu and nutrition information access across all market places with allergen filtering capabilities for students with dietary restrictions
• AllerTraincoreTechnology or IntegrationFood allergy training certification program providing training for UHD staff, student leads, and student managers on food allergies, celiac disease, and food intolerances

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sodexo Education: Sodexo's Education segment provides campus dining, catering, and food services to universities globally, with comparable offerings around meal plans, retail cafes, sustainability, and dietary accommodations. Operates the same product/service set as University Housing and Dining but on a contracted rather than self-operated basis.
• Aramark: Aramark is one of the largest contract food service providers to U.S. higher education campuses, operating residential dining halls, retail cafes, catering, and concessions at scale. Highly comparable as a campus dining operator serving a similar student customer base with similar meal-plan-driven revenue models.
• Chartwells Higher Education (Compass Group): Chartwells is the higher-education-focused division of Compass Group, operating dining services at hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities including residential dining, retail, catering, and sustainability programs. Direct overlap with University of Iowa's mix of all-you-care-to-eat halls, retail cafes, and meal plan subscription revenue.
• Bon Appétit Management Company (Compass Group): Bon Appétit operates campus dining at colleges and universities with an emphasis on local sourcing, sustainability, and chef-driven menus — directly mirroring the values and operating model articulated by University Housing and Dining. Comparable on café concepts, catering, and farm-to-campus supply chain practices.
• AVI Foodsystems: AVI Foodsystems operates campus dining, catering, vending, and food service at universities and corporate clients across the Midwest and East Coast. Comparable scale and product mix including retail cafes, c-stores, and catering.
• Metz Culinary Management: Metz Culinary Management operates dining services at private and public universities, K-12 schools, and corporate sites, with comparable residential dining, retail, catering, and sustainability offerings. Directly comparable contract dining peer for higher education.
• Parkhurst Dining (Eat'n Park Hospitality Group): Parkhurst Dining provides custom campus dining programs at colleges and universities including residential dining, retail cafes, catering, and special dietary accommodations. Comparable operator with similar self-operated-feel, chef-driven service model.
• Aladdin Campus Dining (Elior North America): Aladdin Campus Dining operates residential dining halls and retail locations at U.S. universities under Elior North America, with comparable meal plan and dining dollar programs. Direct peer for university cafeteria and retail dining operations.

Broad incumbents

• Centerplate (Sodexo Live!): Centerplate (now Sodexo Live!) provides food and beverage services at sports, convention, and entertainment venues — adjacent to the University Catering service line that covers Kinnick Stadium, Carver Hawkeye Arena, and Hancher Auditorium. Comparable on large-venue concession and catering operations.
• Eurest Dining (Compass Group): Eurest is Compass Group's broad business dining and amenities division operating across business, education, sports, and entertainment venues. Comparable on food service operations and scale but operates across multiple segments beyond higher education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UniversityofIowaHousingandDining
• Facebookfacebook.com/UIowa.UHD
• Instagraminstagram.com/uiowa.uhd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burge-marketplace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burge Marketplace