Marquette University Becomes Spokin Verified, a Premier Destination for Allergen-Friendly Dining

Marquette University has taken a significant step toward inclusivity and safety by becoming a Spokin Verified University, demonstrating its commitment to supporting students with food allergies and sensitivities.

Spokin Takes Over Marquette: A Delicious Day of Allergen-Friendly Dining

The verification was celebrated with an event where the Spokin team engaged directly with students, giving away allergen-friendly snacks and promoting the university's dining options tailored for those with dietary restrictions.

Partnership with On-Campus Dietitian

Lucas Flaherty RDN, LDN . Marquette’s on-campus dietitian, has been instrumental in ensuring allergen-friendly options are accessible to all students. At the event, he partnered with the Spokin team to speak with students about the various platforms the university offers to assist those with food allergies. Flaherty emphasized the importance of helping students and their families feel secure about dining on campus.

“I love supporting our campus when it comes to students with food allergies, as well as their parents,” Flaherty said. “It is a big step for parents to hand off their student to us to safely feed them on a daily basis. Spokin has helped us tell our story about what we do on campus for students with allergies, as most of it goes unnoticed. I believe that parents are more in tune to how well the food service programs can handle specific food allergies, and the Spokin app helps them understand what is available and read reviews from students regarding their dining experiences.”

Flaherty added that Marquette’s dining services go above and beyond to accommodate students with dietary restrictions, noting the university’s multiple allergen-friendly platforms, such as Simple Servings and Simple Zones. These services not only eliminate the top nine allergens but also offer custom meal ordering systems for students with more complex dietary needs.

“I was able to eat at the Simple Servings station in the Commons dining hall for the two years I lived on campus at Marquette. Simple Servings was a dedicated-kitchen free of the top eight allergens that I always knew would be safe for my allergies. All cookware and ingredients are the top eight allergen free, and I was able to collaborate with Lucas, the campus dietitian, to explore options that would work for me at other dining halls. He was incredible in helping me figure out how to eat safely on campus!”- Clare Kirchner, Junior at Marquette University

To further assist students, Marquette’s Everyday app helps them navigate these stations by providing detailed nutritional information, ingredients, and allergen alerts for each dish. Digital screens at dining stations also display “contains” statements for items with the top nine allergens.

For students with unique dietary restrictions, Marquette offers a special meal ordering system, allowing them to request specific meals tailored to their needs.

Food Allergies, Meet the Spokin App

At the event, the Spokin team encouraged students to download the Spokin app, which offers valuable resources for navigating food allergies and celiac for this critical time of self-advocacy including finding safe dining options, purchasing food, and traveling. Spokin’s mission is to make living with food allergies and celiac easier, empowering young adults to manage more confidently on their own and to reduce the stigma. With reviews in over 130 countries, the Spokin app is the largest and most trusted tool in the food allergy community and the only one to have reviews and rankings for colleges and universities. Students also had the opportunity to leave reviews about their campus dining experience, which helped Marquette rise to number 12 on the Spokin app*, further strengthening Marquette’s standing as one of the most allergen-friendly campuses in the country.

"Spokin recently hosted our first on-campus Pop-Up at Marquette, connecting with many students managing food allergies and celiac disease. Often feeling invisible or like a burden, these students were celebrated with free safe snacks, merchandise, and the opportunity to explore the Spokin app—an empowering resource that helps them dine out safely and confidently. Socializing over meals is an essential part of college life, and we are proud to provide tools that make these connections easier. Students also shared reviews of their on-campus dining experiences at Marquette on our app, and we were thrilled to see so many able to dine safely,” Susie Hultquist , Founder & CEO of Spokin.

* Please note, the rankings are published in the spring. The rankings are dynamic and at the time of publication, Marquette is number 12 on the list.