YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University has selected AVI Fresh as its new partner for campus culinary and hospitality services, effective May 5. 

AVI, headquartered in Warren, is the largest privately held and family owned and operated food and hospitality service provider in the United States. 

“We are excited to partner with AVI Fresh, a company deeply rooted in the Mahoning Valley that shares our commitment to excellence and innovation,” said YSU President Bill Johnson. “This partnership represents a new era for YSU, where our leadership in creating exceptional campus experiences is further exemplified through expanded dining offerings and a deep commitment to meeting the needs of our students. We’re confident that AVI Fresh will help us continue to set the standard for campus dining across the region – and beyond.”

Key highlights of the partnership include a variety of new dining concepts, state-of-the-art technology and enhanced dining and convenience options across campus.

Enhancements in the first year include:

  • Satellite Retail Cafés in Cushwa Hall, Williamson Hall and Maag Library will include an espresso bar featuring locally sourced, craft roasted coffees from Nova Coffee Co., a small, family-owned business in downtown Warren. AVI is partnering with Nova owner John Ramsey to support local businesses in the Mahoning Valley. Fresh-to-go meals and an array of snack and cold beverage options will be offered in these cafes. 
  • There will be a new self-service convenience market at the Meshel Hall Bridge and Grubhub integrated food lockers for added service and convenience. Grubhub integrated food lockers are temperature-controlled, secure, individual lockers that will allow diners to pick up meals ordered from other campus retail restaurants at a location convenient for them.
  • While Kilcawley Center is under renovation, a temporary food court will feature new concepts, including Top & Toast Flatbreads, Be Bowl’d and Stack’d. A new Dunkin’ kiosk will serve the campus while the student center is under construction. Outside Kilcawley, a YSU-branded mobile kitchen, Smoke & Fire, will serve as a dining destination. Chick-fil-A will remain open in its current location for the 2025-26 academic year.
  • An array of signature dining concepts will be offered at Christman Dining Commons, including house-roasted deli selections at The Carvery, plant-based cuisines at Roots, allergen-free selections at Clarity and Peak Performance featured items focusing on athletic performance-based menu offerings. Other options will include classic meals, house-made pizzas, salads and grains, all-day breakfast and more.

In Fall 2026, a new student center food court located in Kilcawley Center will debut. Within the new food court, AVI will introduce an expanded lineup of dining options, including a global deli at Atlas Café; noodles, rice, acai, protein and other bowls at Be Bowl’d; wood stone pizzas, house-smoked meats and vegetables and classic and contemporary global grill offerings at Smoke & Fire. 

Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ will round out the food court in their new locations.

Also in Fall 2026, AVI will open a state-of-the-art convenience store featuring Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, allowing 24/7 self-service shopping convenience.

“We are extremely excited to partner with our neighboring Youngstown State University to deliver an exceptional dining experience for its campus community,” said Anthony Payiavlas, president and CEO of AVI Fresh. “This homegrown partnership will reflect our shared commitment to excellence and innovation, creating a vibrant culinary program that will enhance student life while supporting the overall growth and success of our Valley and beyond.”

AVI will replace Chartwells as YSU’s food service provider and is offering all current Chartwells team members the opportunity to join the AVI team in either the same or comparable positions.