Lenoir Dining, a student-run restaurant located in Lenoir Hall on Sorority Row, is expanding its operations to the South Oxford Center on South Lamar Boulevard.
The University of Mississippi’s Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management manages Lenoir Dining, which serves lunch in Lenoir Hall on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. While the restaurant encourages making a reservation, walk-ins are welcome and a takeout option is available.
Jeffrey Pittman II, an instructional assistant professor of nutrition and hospitality management, shared his ideas regarding potential plans for the expansion. These could include expanded seating and menu options, more hands-on opportunities for students and increased community involvement.
“We are trying to strategize a move to the South Oxford Center,” Pittman said. “We’ll have what’s called the Innovation Kitchen, where we will be able to expand Lenoir Dining from roughly 80 seats to double. We will be able to offer a variety of options outside of just your standard, casual-dining three-course meal, such as a ‘grab-and-go’ or a specialty bakery option.”
Innovation is a cornerstone of the department’s expansion plan, according to Pittman.
“Cooking is nothing but the science of food,” Pittman said. “That’s what we’re really trying to utilize — more of a science hub between hospitality, culinary and nutrition.”
Pittman is excited about the planned commercial kitchens, which could enable more collaboration with experienced restaurant professionals.
“(Local businesses) can utilize our commercial kitchens and even bring in various business owners from the community to be guest speakers and showcase their skills in front of our students,” Pittman said.
Oxford resident and retired certified public accountant Hugh Lee, a 1972 graduate of the University of Mississippi is a regular at Lenoir Dining. He is ready to see the restaurant grow by mitigating current issues affecting the general public’s attendance.
“(My wife and I) love coming here. The food is great; the kids are great; it feels fresh and homemade,” Lee said. “They should expand it to accommodate more people. It would be nice to have a facility that has more parking for the general public, because parking is difficult if you are not already located on campus.”
Pittman, or “Chef Jeff” to his students, has spent five years at the university. He has served in his current role of instructional assistant professor since 2024, and he served in roles with Rebel Chefs Culinary and Baking Camp in the two years prior. Originally from West Point, Miss., Pittman learned to cook from his grandmother and soon began shadowing chefs in the area.
Prior to obtaining his master’s and Ph.D. in hospitality management from the University of Mississippi, Pittman served as a corporate chef for Gordon Ramsay Steak and Golden Nugget Casino and Resorts.
Lenoir Dining has fostered a community beyond Pittman and the students who work there. For Jillian Anderson, a first-year experimental psychology graduate student, it has become a place to return with her friends.
“I really like the food here. I love the garlic knots,” Anderson said. “This is my second time coming. I actually found it on Facebook, and I followed them and now my roommate eats here, too.”
Pittman tells his students that successful hospitality managers are, first and foremost, good with people. Poor communication can destroy any kitchen, whether that restaurant is a drive-thru or an upscale venue. To this end, Pittman emphasizes practicality in almost all of his lessons.
“Even though I love research, I’m very practical,” Pittman said. “It’s not just about getting the students through our hospitality management programs so they can just get on with their lives. It’s about developing them into effective leaders. In order to be a successful hospitality manager, it’s not just knowing the skills, but how to actually do the aspects of your specific job.”
All hospitality management majors at the university are required to take the quantity food production and service (with lab) course at Lenoir Dining. During this time, students rotate through the restaurant, working both back-of-house and front-of-house positions and setting the menu.
“Oftentimes, the students want to do a lot of French food and Mexican food,” Pittman said. “A couple weeks ago, we went ahead and tried a three-course Mexican menu, where you get three choices of entrée — shrimp, chicken or some type of vegetarian entrée, and then a homemade dessert. … We always try to have that three-course menu where the desserts are as homemade as possible.”
The kitchen aims not to use baking mixes in food production. Lenoir’s student chefs have recently made sweet potato bread, cinnamon rolls and pudding. They have even reproduced Pittman’s cinnamon apple pie recipe. Despite all the food being homemade, Lenoir Dining is surprisingly affordable. A three-course meal, which includes a drink, is only $15.
Hospitality students appreciate the experience Lenoir Dining offers.
“Lenoir Dining has been more than just a class I have taken,” Angie Mai, a junior hospitality management major from Corinth, Miss., said. “It’s helped me learn about the behind-the-scenes of the food service industry while building great relationships with my classmates and even our guests. I have learned more about what it takes to work in the service industry while also applying it to everyday interactions, and it has been one of the highlights of my college career.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article contained incorrect information regarding Pittman’s employment history. These details have been corrected, and we regret the errors.
