LAKEVILLE, Conn., Jan. 15, 2026—The Hotchkiss School opened the doors to its new Dining Commons last month, elevating the dining experience with a variety of serving stations that emphasize self-service and allow students to craft meals to their precise liking.
The opening took place three months after CulinArt Group began serving students in a temporary facility at the beginning of the current school year. General Manager Denee Hinman supervises a staff of 55 associates and a program that also includes a retail Market, catering, and incorporation of meats, dairy products, and produce from the school’s Fairfield Farm, located a mile from campus.
The new Dining Commons embodies the concept of blending dining services into the school’s academic purpose and goals. “There are elements of advocating, educating, and the multicultural dimensions of our food service,” Hinman explains. “The model is to encourage the students not only to advocate for themselves, but to provide an element of culture experience where they can make meals native to their own country.”
For example, one of the most popular stations features eight induction burners where students select ingredients, handle utensils, and plate their own creations. Elsewhere, they choose from a variety of pizzas, specialty sandwiches, salad bar offerings, farm-fresh features, soup, and baked items prepared fresh in-house.
Students also learn responsible approaches to consumption and food-waste avoidance through self-service. “The stir-fry station, for example, is a great venue for using up any leftover vegetables or proteins and helps reduce waste,” says Allison Zummo, vice president of operational excellence.
Hinman points out a number of other initiatives at Hotchkiss:
A Chef’s Table featuring Exec. Chef Darby Fitzgerald at the helm. “The food is cooked in an open kitchen concept to encourage engagement and open communication with our cooks and chefs.”
An “underworld” team of chefs is prepping meals in a downstairs kitchen, where Chef Lyn Weber “ensures that all recipes are being followed and added to Webtrition to sync up with our state-of-the-art digital Nutrislice Spotlight tablets.”
Chef Zach Skarzynski has been instrumental in menu development and is creating incredible specialized catering options for faculty staff and students. A dedicated catering kitchen will host Teaching Kitchens and interactive workshop with students, led and organized by Catering Director Erica Dorsett. “Erica has also launched Spoonfed, a digital catering ordering system, within the school community.”
The on-campus community at Hotchkiss, recently rated the #1 Best Private High School in America by students and parents, includes more than 600 students and another 300-plus faculty, staff, and family members.