Taking Over the Line: A Simplot Station Experience at Boise State University

At Simplot, partnership means more than just delivering great products—it means showing up, rolling up our sleeves, and working side-by-side with our foodservice customers. That’s exactly what we did during our recent station takeover at Boise State University’s dining hall.

For one busy lunch service, we transformed a campus dining station using Simplot products to demonstrate just how easy, efficient, and delicious a menu can be when powered by the right ingredients. From prep to plate, we showed how Simplot’s premium solutions help college and university kitchens serve better food with less stress.

“These station takeovers foster a deeper understanding of our customers’ business, including labor skillsets and equipment capabilities, to drive on-trend menu ideas. All of this is done in the spirit of building stronger relationships and becoming a go-to partner in the marketplace.” —Caroline Burnum, Sr. Account Executive Non-Commercial, Simplot

A hands-on approach to partnership

The station takeover campaign has become a powerful way for Simplot to connect with both current and potential customers across the non-commercial space—including College & University, Healthcare, and K-12 foodservice. The idea is simple: Simplot brings in new products and menu concepts, takes over one of the operator’s stations for the day, and serves a full lunch using Simplot ingredients.

It’s more than just a demo. It’s a real-time collaboration—an opportunity for operators to experience the ease and impact of Simplot products while collecting live feedback from students and patrons. From the back-of-house benefits to front-of-house excitement, the value is immediate and tangible.

“Having the ability to offer a station takeover really helped enhance my relationship with BSU. Our team worked collaboratively with theirs to showcase Simplot’s labor-saving solutions while at the same time serving up lots of smiles! This campaign opened the door to meet with their Compass Group leadership and deepen our investment in Buster’s Kitchen.” —Mackenzie Zeimet, Account Manager, Simplot

Bringing Simplot’s portfolio to life

What makes the station takeover campaign so effective is that it takes the story of our products out of the brochure and onto the line. It’s one thing to sample an item in a test kitchen—it’s another to run it through a high-volume lunch rush to see the labor savings, flexibility, and flavor shine under pressure.

Simplot offers a premium, comprehensive portfolio of on-trend, foodservice-ready ingredients. We’re known for our leadership in potatoes, but that’s just the beginning. Our offerings also include high-quality fruits, vegetables, grains, and avocados—all designed to support operational success and menu innovation.

“Stations help healthcare operators provide customizability for their patrons and offer new ways to use products in various recipes.” —Merynn Hemphill, Customer Marketing Manager, Simplot

Whether you’re feeding 500 college students or creating build-your-own bowls for a healthcare dining program, Simplot’s portfolio helps streamline prep, reduce labor, and keep customers coming back.

Here are just a few of the standout items used during station takeovers:

• Simplot Good Grains™ Vegetable Fried Rice – A labor-saving base for bowls and plates with global appeal

• Simplot RoastWorks® RTE Flame-Roasted Sweet Corn & Peppers Blend – Flame-roasted flavor without the labor

• Simplot Harvest Fresh® Avocados Hand-Scooped Chunky Avocado Pulp, Frozen – Fresh taste and texture with freezer-to-line convenience

Experience the Simplot partnership firsthand

The success of the station takeover program lies in its simplicity: bring the right products, the right support, and a spirit of service—and great things happen.

If you’re a non-commercial foodservice operator looking to simplify your kitchen operations, inspire your menu, and deepen guest satisfaction, we’d love to bring a Simplot station takeover to you.

Let’s take over the line—together

Reach out to your Simplot representative to learn more or request a station takeover at your operation. Let us show you, in real time, how Simplot brings more than ingredients—we bring partnership, support, and a shared commitment to making foodservice better. Learn more here.

*See the recipe used at the Boise State University food station takeover here.