The Eatery at Yavapai College in Prescott 

CAMPUS DINING, REDEFINED 

FROM SCRATCH. LOCALLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS. SEASONALLY INSPIRED MENU. These are phrases generally associated only with fine dining— but not anymore.

Typically, meal service on college campuses is contracted to outside providers. “The challenge with that is the institution doesn’t get much say. They can ask for better quality, but it’s really out of their hands,” says Aimee Novak, executive director of culinary experience at Yavapai College’s Prescott campus. Most meal service providers rely on a heat-and-serve menu made up of highly processed, frozen foods meant for quick preparation and service. Less than three years ago, that model was replaced with the opening of The Eatery. The decision was prompted in part by the noticeable decline in student-athletes’ performance during games. “They were running out of steam because of the lack of nutrients,” says Novak. The Executive Leadership Team of Yavapai College wanted their students to receive better nutrition; multiple third-party contractors failed to deliver the desired results. Their solution: go local. 

Novak’s background included restaurant ownership and food safety education. As the owner of the food-truck-turned-restaurant Soldi Creative Cuisine in Prescott, Novak served a vegetable-forward menu featuring as many locally grown ingredients as she could get. Tony Burris—who had extensive experience in both the restaurant and fitness industries—was selected to be director of culinary experience. He first became involved with local food through a work-study program at Prescott College. Both Novak and Burris are culinary school graduates who never lost their belief in the importance of supporting local food producers. The two volunteered as members of Prescott Farmers Market’s board of directors, with Novak serving as president for a time. 

LEARNING CURVE 

The campus dining transformation began in August 2023. Novak approached the challenge with three goals in mind: Provide real nutrition that supports students’ bodies and minds, source locally and regionally grown ingredients whenever feasible, and implement as many sustainable practices as possible. Creating a menu that prioritizes whole-food, plant-forward offerings and minimizes the amount of processed foods and artificial additives was the easy part. 

“Basically, it was Tony and I locked in a room with a whiteboard. Both of us went from small restaurant backgrounds to creating an entire department,” Novak says. “It was a really big learning curve.” “Honestly,” adds Burris, “we had no idea what we were taking on.” Purchasing at an institutional level is complicated. The procurement department exists in part to protect taxpayer dollars. Multiple bids must be collected and contracts created. It took nine months to be able to purchase flour from Gilbert-based Hayden Flour Mills—which specializes in reviving nutrient-dense heritage grains. 

“We worked with Sysco to get it delivered,” Novak says. “Not only was that a win for us, but think of the impact that has on small restaurants up here, which had to drive to Phoenix to pick up product if they wanted to use it. It opens doors for them to support Arizona-grown products as well.” The two also recently succeeded in sourcing ground beef from K4—at a quantity of 7,000 pounds per year. Hiring was another unexpected aspect of operating on an institutional level. “You can’t just look at someone’s resume and ask them to start tomorrow,” says Burris. “There’s a process. The jobs have to be posted online, and there’s an interview process, background checks, and sometimes it takes over three weeks to hire someone.” 

Despite the challenges, Novak and Burris have transformed college dining from fast food to fresh, made-from-scratch meals that please a variety of palates. “What we’ve really learned is we are feeding a wide range of people. We have international students, we have students from other parts of the United States, we’ve learned to develop a menu that accommodates everyone’s dietary needs and requests,“ Burris says. 

PLEASING ALL PALATES 

“Every time we did a menu change, we would call the athletes in, and we would give them a chance to taste what we were thinking of putting on the menu. I would explain the macro- and micro-nutrients of the dishes so it gave students an opportunity to understand and appreciate what we were offering,” Burris says. “This year, our second, the palates have expanded a lot.”

Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items—including desserts—are available. One of the two fryers is kept gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination. The menu makes it easy for students to understand the nutritional components of each item. The students especially appreciate the specials, which change every few days. It’s more than an effort to keep over 200 resident students from getting bored with something offered every day. It’s a strategy to ensure ingredients are used and food waste is minimized—a cost that can add up quickly in an operation that serves 10,000 meals in a month. 

Through the kitchen staff’s diligent efforts and the implementation of a system called the Leanpath Food Waste Prevention Platform, The Eatery can follow the path of carrot peels into stock, bread ends into croutons, and “ugly” produce into juice. What can’t be repurposed in the kitchen is picked up by the Yavapai College Agribusiness Center, turned into compost, and then used on the plants whose produce winds up on The Eatery’s menu. 

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK 

Those primarily responsible for the day-to-day execution of Novak’s vision are Executive Chef Kristina Jones, Executive Pastry Chef Justin Chalk, and Sous Chefs Jonathan Martinez and Stanley “Trey” Berger. Together, the four develop seasonal menus, oversee the preparation of students’ meals, and ensure sustainable practices are followed. Executive Chef Kristina Jones first encountered the epitome of fresh while working at Hacienda Del Sol in Tucson. “They had a garden, and so we could pick peppers, herbs, and lemons and use them,” she says. She worked on the line at several restaurants in Tucson and Prescott before eventually becoming kitchen manager at Prescott High School, where she oversaw a small staff and the kind of menu you expect to be served at schools. 

Jones joined The Eatery as sous chef in November 2023 and became executive chef in October 2024. Beyond inventory, ordering, and staff scheduling, it is her responsibility to communicate Novak’s vision to the rest of the team and ensure its execution. She puts considerable energy into her role as a leader and makes an effort to get to know everyone on the staff. “Before, there was a lot of negativity and negative energy. People were confused and, therefore, not happy. I’ve brought as much clarity to people’s roles and responsibilities as I can, and I feel like everyone has mutual respect for each other. If anybody has an issue, they’re not afraid to talk it out,” Jones says. 

Executive Pastry Chef Justin Chalk got his passion for cooking from his mother and grandmother. He spent years working in high-end hotels and resorts in California, eventually moving to Arizona to be closer to family. “I didn’t start out doing pastry, but I fell in love. You have to be an architect, a structural engineer, a mad scientist … it’s chemistry and science that you can eat,” Chalk says. He and his assistants are responsible for the bread, pizza dough, granola, croissants, assorted breakfast pastries, and desserts—all made from scratch. 

He has also introduced a bread program to the college. Students, staff, and the public can purchase freshly made loaves when school is in session. Sous Chef Jonathan Martinez was brought up in the food business. At the age of 9, he was bussing tables at his aunt’s Mexican restaurant. He spent four years in the Marine Corps, serving two tours in the Middle East and sailing around the world one and a half times. “This was a significant influence on my cooking,” Martinez says, “as I was able to experience cuisines from several different nationalities.”

Martinez went from being part-time line cook to sous chef in nine months. In July 2025, he took on the role of student manager. “I connect really well with the students,” he says. “I go to their games. I’ve built relationships with the kids. I figure out what they like and don’t like and try to make specials they’ll enjoy.” Sous Chef Stanley “Trey” Berger has been a part of the local food scene since 1994. “[The industry] is not easy but it came easy to me in my youth, so I leaned into that. I fell in love with cooking,” Berger says. After working in and helping open restaurants throughout Prescott and Phoenix, he crossed paths with Burris at the Barleyhound. “We became friends, and I told him the moment he opened anything up here, let me know so I could work with him again. He’s fun to work with. He’s really insightful with the food,” Berger says. 

When asked about his particular influence in the kitchen, Berger smiles. “I like savory, home-cooked meals. Rib-stickers that keep you warm in the winter months. I’ll be working on a pot pie for the menu.” Novak and Burris are immensely proud of their team. “We couldn’t do our job without the staff,” Burris says. “We’ve been really lucky to have a great team of people who have stuck with us and share the same vision and ideas. We’ve spent time in the kitchen with them, and that’s how we know they’re a solid group of talented chefs.” 

EVERYONE WELCOME 

The menu offers a diverse range of global flavors, including Asian, Italian, and Mexican. One of the most popular items is Burris’s signature smash burger. You’ll also find sandwiches, scratch-made soups, pizza, and salads—all made-to-order and featuring fresh, often housemade ingredients. A seasonally rotating selection of mouthwatering desserts is also available. 

The scale of what’s been accomplished is best digested in person. Yes! You are welcome! There is plenty of parking and comfortable seating. You won’t be rushed to move on the moment you’ve finished your meal, though you are encouraged to bus your own table. Except for holidays, snow days, and campus closures, The Eatery is open seven days a week. You can enjoy a freshly made, from-scratch meal at a price unmatched in the area: entree, side, and dessert for less than $20. 

The Eatery is located at Yavapai College 1100 E Sheldon St, Bldg 3 in Prescott

See the menu at yc.edu/v6/dining/eatery.html