
Friendly Fork
Opening Fall 2025
Visit Friendly Fork in Vail Commons, Davidson College's allergen-certified station for foods free from all nine main allergens.
Friendly Fork, a Davidson College Dining Services initiative, creates safe and inclusive dining experiences.
We prioritize clear allergen communication, trained staff, and dedicated safe spaces to ensure all guests, especially those with food allergies or dietary restrictions, dine with confidence and personalized support.
Every dining location has a designated Friendly Fork expert, identifiable by their red "Davidson Dining" shirts, on duty during all operating hours. These trained team leaders are certified in handling allergen-safe requests and use dedicated allergen equipment to minimize cross-contact.
Stations at Friendly Fork
At Vail Commons, we go above and beyond to accommodate guests with dietary restrictions with a dedicated kitchen and serving area that excludes the top nine main allergens, a specially trained team ensuring safe preparation and service, and three inclusive dining stations under the Friendly Fork umbrella!
- Power Plant is a 100% vegan and gluten-free station, making meals from scratch daily.
- Herbs & Spices is a delicious Halal Indian cuisine station, showcasing bold flavors and careful attention to allergens.
- Corner Grill serves classic entrees and sides, including grilled Halal chicken, French fries, and allergen-conscious burgers.
Requesting Food from Backup
To reduce the risk of cross-contact in self-service or buffet areas, guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions are encouraged to ask for food from a backup pan.
A backup pan is a fresh pan of food that has not yet been placed on the serving line and is less likely to be exposed to other allergens. Ask a team member or a Friendly Fork expert on duty to let them know which item you’d like to be served from a backup pan.
Special Diet Meals
In certain situations, menu items may need to be prepared individually to meet students' dietary needs. Please contact our Registered Dietitian to review your diet prescription plan. If a student needs a specially prepared meal, they may email vailchefs@davidson.edu 24 hours in advance of the desired meal.
Tools & Resources
Our Registered Dietitians welcomes any student in need of dietary guidance to schedule a private consultation. This may include tours of dining locations to help establish what food is safe, and meetings with chefs or managers to determine points of contact for students.
Background
Dining Services recognizes the social opportunities mealtimes provide, like enjoying good food, conversation, and relaxation from busy days. Dining Services offers different facilities to offer a variety of foods, including homestyle meals, snacks, and on-the-go meals. However, we understand some options may contain food allergens students cannot tolerate. Our mission strives to provide safe alternatives to meet our students’ food allergy needs.
Purpose
This policy seeks to inform Dining Services staff and customers of Davidson College’s intention to accommodate students with allergies by providing healthy, safe alternatives.
Policy
The Registered Dietician or Dining Services representative will meet with students to discuss food allergies individually. After menu, recipe, and ingredient reviews, the Registered Dietician or Dining Services representative will assist the student with alternate food options.
Administration of Policy
The Director of Dining Services oversees this policy and reviews it at least once every two years. Dining Services staff will be trained annually in this policy. Policy changes will be made in accordance with Davidson College policies. The following procedures will be followed as Dining Services implements this policy.
- Students are encouraged to contact the Registered Dietician for an appointment.
- The student and Registered Dietician will review the menus to familiarize themselves with Dining Services resources, and Jamix, our e-menu.
- If desired, the Registered Dietician will arrange a meeting with the Executive Chef of Dining Services and the location’s manager to answer any questions regarding recipe or food ingredients.
- The student will communicate with the Executive Chef and Registered Dietician about specific ingredient questions.
- The Executive Chef or the location’s supervisor on duty will assist the student with alternative menu selections as needed.
- For prepared food items, the Executive Chef and student determine a suitable pickup time at the location.
- As necessary, the Dining Services staff prepares food with precautions:
- They will wash their hands and wear non-latex gloves.
- They will use clean and sanitized pans, knives, utensils, and work surfaces.
- They will change their gloves and serving utensils when asked.
- Clean equipment and sanitized workspaces
- They will use the proper dedicated purple allergen kits and labeled storage
- Specially prepared diet meals are labeled with our crafted with caution sticker.
When a student suspects of having an allergic reaction, a staff member will dial 9-1-1. The staff member will provide the location’s address and share that a customer is having an allergic reaction. A staff member will stay with the individual until medical help arrives, while another will be sent to direct medical personnel to the student in need.
If the student carries an Epi-Pen, they may use it in the event of an allergic reaction. A staff member will immediately call 9-1-1.
For additional information regarding food allergy navigation on campus, please explore our Dining Services Food Allergies.
To ensure our customers’ safety, we ask all students and guests with allergies or special dietary needs to follow these precautions:
- Indicate your allergy or dietary restriction when filling out your incoming health forms.
- Current students may schedule a private consultation with our Registered Dietitians to discuss their dietary needs.
- Carry and maintain an Allergy Emergency Action Plan and any medications (e.g., EpiPen.)
- Clearly communicate your allergies when ordering food—in person or online.
- Look for Dining Services staff members in red shirts, or supervisors, to help or clarify.
- Use our e-menu, Jamix, for real-time allergen and ingredient information.
Davidson College Dining Services is committed to ensuring the safety of all guests, especially those with food allergies or dietary restrictions. Our Safe Meal Preparation procedures are designed to prevent cross-contact and support informed food choices.
Key Practices
- The Dining Administration Team is responsible for communicating, implementing, and reviewing the food allergy policy and procedures at least once per year.
- All managers, supervisors, and chefs are SERV Safe Manager and Aller Train U certified.
- All employees complete the Food Handler and Allergen Safety Training annually.
- New recipes and ingredient substitutions are approved by the Dietary Technician before being served.
- Ingredient binders and our e-menu, Jamix, are updated prior to every service.