In order to maintain a consistent experience for all visitors and to allow our vendors to staff accordingly, each concept must maintain the same minimum hours of operation – open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner from 10:30 AM until 9:00 PM Sunday-Thursday and until 10:00 PM on Friday & Saturday. Hey Day Market will be closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving.

Students will be able to spend their declining balance dollars and use their Tiger Club cards in the Hey Day Market. However, block meals cannot be used in the Hey Day Market.

Ithaka Hospitality Partners, LLC (IHP) manages the Hey Day Market on behalf of Auburn University.

IHP serves as the agent for the owner and the agreement will be with IHP.

Once selected, each vendor is required to pay a $35,000, non-refundable fee for entry.

We believe in operational efficiencies, the cross-utilization of staff and product, and purchasing power. It is for this reason that the Hey Day Market selection committee will accept a maximum of 3 different concepts for submission.

Each vendor will be charged a 25% commission of gross revenues instead of a monthly lease.

Vendors will pay an additional 1.5% transaction fee to Campus Dining since all dining dollar transactions will be reconciled and processed by Campus Dining. Vendors accepting dining dollars must comply with the established Campus Dining rules for the use of dining dollars and provide transaction reports to be reconciled daily and paid weekly. Campus Dining will work with the management team at the Hey Day Market to establish funds flow for dining dollar transactions and a refund process for customer service issues.

An initial term of one year, with a two-year renewable term and a 30 day out with cause. Vendor stalls must be open and operational beginning when the Rane Culinary Science Center has its soft opening, expected in mid-July 2022.

The liquor license for Hey Day Market is held by IHP which will manage the bar inside Hey Day Market. The bar will be the only outlet permitted to sell alcoholic beverages.

This is a cashless market. Owner will provide POS free of charge and will reconcile on a weekly / monthly basis the commission due. This is to reduce the overall ticket time for each transaction, resulting in a positive experience for guests, but also to free our vendors from the time-consuming accounting process, and let them focus on providing incredible meals that create more brand advocates and ultimately drive more revenue.

All food hall vendors will be required to purchase and receive their own food, non-alcoholic beverages and non-branded Hey Day Market paper goods. Dedicated cooler space will be provided downstairs by the Hey Day Market Operator. Receiving & Floor hours will be identified in the Operators Agreement.

You are responsible for purchasing and receiving all food, non-alcoholic beverages and any branded or non branded products specifically related to your stall. All paper goods individually sourced must be approved by the Hey Day Market prior to purchasing to ensure The Hey Day Market brand is being represented to its standards and Auburn University’s commitment to sustainability is accounted for. Hey Day Market branded items will be purchased by the Hey Day Market Operator and requisitioned and billed to each tenant. All tenants will be required to use branded Hey Day Market to-go bags. Non branded napkins will be purchased by The Hey Day Market Operator and available at all tables throughout the market.

As the management company for Hey Day Market, IHP will secure a prime food service vendor provider. All food hall vendors will be required to purchase 80 percent of their goods from the prime vendor account.

Third party delivery services will not be permitted from any food hall vendor.

The market will have its own social media channel. This channel will be used to educate and attract. It will be a visual medium of storytelling about the market in general – updates, events, and promotions. It will also be a vehicle for telling the ongoing stories of our chefs and their offerings. Hey Day’s social channel will be a tool for creating and growing a strong local customer base, as well as a method for attracting out-of-town visitors. It will become a digital version of the market experience that ultimately pulls people in and causes action. Vendors are encouraged to use their own social media platforms as well, to promote their stall and the market as a whole.

All inquiries are required to be submitted by email to HeyDayMarket@ithakahp.com, starting November 1, 2021. Inquiries by phone will not be accepted.

To become a Hey Day Market vendor, click on the “How Do I Become A Vendor?” tab and follow the submittal instructions. Submissions will be reviewed promptly. Prospective vendors may be contacted for interviews or informal discussions and may be asked to provide additional information. A shortlist of vendors may be invited to execute a tasting of the full menu at the vendor’s expense and to present their vision, company, branding, menu, financials, equipment needs, and other information. Vendors will be selected based on the quality of their proposals, relevant experience, and the best interests and needs of the overall Hey Day Market project. Vendors will be required to sign a standard food vendor license agreement with the operator.

The following individuals will be part of this process: (click name for more information)

Chef Marc Osier oversees all restaurants and food halls within Ithaka’s portfolio. As a cultured traveler, Chef Osier’s career transcends style and cities. He recently served as the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Executive Chef where his culinary philosophy focused on bringing the cuisines and culture of the city into the heartbeat of the hotel’s catering scene. Additionally, he served as Executive Sous Chef at California’s Hotel Del Coronado, where he was a key leader in annual revenue growth, reducing food waste and increasing kitchen efficiency. Prior experience includes serving as executive Sous chef at Sunriver Resort, instrumental to his growth in understanding of agriculture and ranching. He then had the opportunity to return his Alma Mater Auburn University and join the culinary team, where thrived as part their international Hospitality training program. This led to a position as banquet chef at The Resort at Pelican Hill leading him to a focus on simple ingredients and meaningful food made with the highest caliber of precision.

Adam Keeshan oversees Ithaka’s entire food and beverage operation and works with individual properties to streamline and solidify their food and beverage offerings. Adam has worked within the food and beverage industry for more than 20 years, with a background that includes time in independent full-service restaurants and bars, fast-casual concepts and country clubs. Adam serves on the Young Alumni Council for Auburn University and sits on Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association board. Adam also holds his Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators and has passed the Introductory Sommelier course with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Adam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Auburn University.

Leo Maurelli works with Ithaka’s properties to provide guidance to each restaurant overseen by the company to ensure quality, original menus and distinct food pairings. Chef Leo has served as Executive Chef at famed restaurants throughout the state of Alabama, including The Hotel at Auburn University. He was honored as the 2011 Alabama Restaurant Association and Alabama Hospitality Association Chef of the Year, and is consistently voted as one of Best Chef’s America: South since 2014.

Chef Leo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Auburn University.

 

John Hopkins oversees all aspects of Ithaka’s financial management. With nearly 30 years in finance, John is a seasoned professional with experience in financial, managerial, ownership and entrepreneurial leadership in the hospitality industry. As a key manager within facilities throughout the U.S., including most recently The Hotel at Auburn University, John has overseen significant reductions in costs and increases in profitability.

John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Restaurant and Hotel Management from Purdue University.

With more than 25 years of dedicated service as an international hotelier, Hans van der Reijden is recognized as a hospitality expert and a respected leader.

As founder and CEO, Hans leads Ithaka’s development initiatives and spearheads the company’s academic partnership with Auburn University’s Hospitality Management Program. A visionary leader in the world of luxury hospitality, Hans has a record of successfully launching, turning around and expanding organizations.

Hans was a Partner in Capella Hotel Group from its founding in 2003 until 2018. Prior to joining Capella, he served as an Executive in The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for 11 years, opening hotels across the globe.

He was named “Hotelier of the Year” in 2007 and “Humanitarian of the Year” in 2019 by the Alabama Hospitality Association, “Tourism Executive of the Year” by the State of Alabama in 2014 and was awarded the Award of Excellence by the Alabama Travel Council in 2014. Hans is an active member and has served as Chairman of the Board for both the Alabama Hospitality & Restaurant Association as well as the Alabama Travel Council. He also serves on the advisory board for the Alabama Tourism Department, an appointment by Governor Kay Ivey. 

Kirk Stafford is the founder of Caravan, a fully-integrated marketing group that has spent years successfully developing, launching and growing brands in the hospitality industry. From handling the necessary touchpoints of naming and creating visual identity, to media relations, web design, advertising, social media and event management, Caravan ensures the process of brand growth is not only strategic, but also holistic.

Prior to launching his own agency, Kirk led the marketing teams for Ponce City Market in Atlanta and the iconic Chelsea Market in New York City. His expertise begins with ensuring an exciting vendor mix that attracts guests and drives revenue, and moves into storytelling and programming that keep visitors returning again and again.

Kelli has served as V-P for Business and Finance/CFO for five years at Auburn University. She has over 25 years of Higher Education senior administration experience, including 16 years at Texas A&M University. Prior to higher education Kelli was the V-P, Treasurer and Controller for a publicly traded investment company and worked as an auditor for the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Kelli serves on the Board of Control for the Retirement System of Alabama and the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan. She is also a Board member of the Women in Public Finance Alabama Chapter and on the Council of Advocates for the Lee County Boys and Girls Clubs.

In her spare time, she can be found playing golf or travelling. She is the mother of two grown children.

Grant Garber has worked in higher education for over a decade, serving as an in-house Auburn University attorney since 2018.  Before that, he worked at Ohio University and represented universities and other institutional clients as a litigator at law firms in Ohio and North Carolina.

Tyler Adams has worked in higher education for almost a decade, serving as the Strategic Sourcing and Contract Officer for Auburn University since 2019. Before that, he worked at Auburn University as the Contract Officer and worked with Institutional stakeholders in developing business relationships with Auburn University.

Glenn Loughridge serves as Auburn University’s Director of Campus Dining and Athletics Concessions. A native of Clearwater, Florida, Mr. Loughridge is a 1994 Auburn alumnus, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications.  Since returning to Auburn in 2012, Mr. Loughridge has worked tirelessly to forge relationships with the Auburn dining contractor, student groups, faculty and staff. He is using his innovative, creative, and forward-thinking skills to create a campus dining experience that is dynamic and responsive to changes in students’ dining needs and tastes.

Mr. Loughridge has received the Spirit of Sustainability Award for his commitment to promoting local foods, reducing waste and bringing healthier options to campus.  He has been honored as the SGA Supporter of the Year and was a member of two projects (Aquaponics System and Food Entrepreneur Conference) which received President’s Collaborative Unit Awards for the 2016-17 academic year.

Mr. Loughridge is passionate about promoting Auburn’s rich agricultural heritage, and in 2017 created the Auburn Foods brand to identify foods made by the Auburn family for the Auburn family.  Partnering with the College of Agriculture, local farmers and producers, Tiger Dining is bringing fresh, nutritious Auburn Foods to campus to be enjoyed by students, guests, faculty and staff.

Michael Thomas is a senior studying Finance with hopes to attend law school. He grew up in Auburn, where both of his parents graduated from and is now here along with his brother and two sisters. Most of his experience throughout his time at Auburn comes from working with congressional offices/different offices of higher administration.

Michael Thomas serves as an executive officer and the primary student contact with the Office of the Provost, Facilities Management, Campus Safety and Security, Information Technology, Parking and Transportation services, Health Promotion and Wellness services, Campus Dining, University Housing, Athletics, and Office of Sustainability. Overseeing four different teams in total, housing 26 members, spearheading any student led projects advocating on behalf of the student body to University administration regarding ongoing and future initiatives at Auburn.

A member of the college’s faculty since 1993, Dr. Hubbard is currently the college’s associate dean for academic affairs, a position she has held since 2006. She holds the rank of full professor and previously served the college in numerous administrative and academic capacities, including coordinator of the college’s Hotel and Restaurant Management Program, extension coordinator and external affairs coordinator.

In recent years, Dr. Hubbard has been recognized for her work as an administrator and advocate. Among her many accolades, she has received the National Outstanding Advising Administrator Award from the National Academic Advising Association, or NACADA, the Pamela Wells Sheffield Award recognizing commitment and service to Auburn, the Outstanding Advising Administrator Award and the Hospitality Educator of the Year Award from the Alabama Restaurant Association and Alabama Hospitality Association.

An Auburn alumna, Dr. Hubbard earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Education and her doctorate in vocational and adult education with an emphasis in higher education administration.

Dr. Mark Traynor holds a Ph.D. Culinary Arts and Science and Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts and from the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology from the Dublin Institute of Technology. The focus of his doctoral research was the theoretical and practical application of the principles and theories of Molecular Gastronomy to the development of novel food products.

Dr. Traynor has held numerous positions in the foodservice industry, both front-of-house and back-of-house foodservice, including as a general manager. In 2013, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Culinology in Southwest Minnesota State’s Culinology and Hospitality Management Department. In 2015, Dr. Traynor became the Chair of the Culinology and Hospitality Management Department before transitioning to the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University in 2016. At Florida International University, he taught both undergraduate and graduate-level courses in culinary arts and innovation, and restaurant management and development. In 2019, Dr. Traynor was appointed Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the Culinary Science program at Auburn University.