Simply put, we are a group of people who love food. Foodies is an organization on the San Diego State Campus that promotes the universal love for food, restaurants, and the hospitality industry. Whether you like to cook or eat, food is a passion that can bring us all together.
Foodies started its first semester in Spring of 2009 and became an official SDSU club in the Fall of 2009. We have over 250 people interested in our club, receiving our emails, and giving Foodies encouragement We also have guided support from the California Restaurant Association. They act as a link to industry professionals and allow us to be members of this prestigious national organization as well as coordinate events with our club and allow for networking opportunities.
What Do We Do?
We are a group dedicated to learning about food and spending time finding new and exciting ways to incorporate it into our daily lives. As a student run organization, we focus mainly on the goals and aspirations of our peers. We use the things our members are looking for out of being a part of Foodies to help guide the activities and events we organize. Ultimately we are an organization that is helping students that have an interest in going into a career focused on food and beverage within the hospitality industry. Because that includes a large spectrum of possible career options, we are always open to and looking for various types of events that often include career opportunities that most students would have never been aware of.
Thus to be a successful and beneficial organization for our members, we put together monthly socials which combine the aspect of a regular club meeting with more fun and educational learning features. These social events are what keeps ideas flowing in the group and help establish where we want to focus our attention on a monthly basis. Such examples would be learning from a sommelier about wines or learning proper table etiquette.
Our organization revolves around the passion food brings into people’s lives, everything we strive to do is in good fun, even our monthly meetings. We pride ourselves on our attempts to really listen and act on everyone's' opinions and suggestions for the club. What members often enjoy most however is the copious amount of events we offer them. Although always eager to squeeze in as many events as possible, we attempt to put together about one or two a month as to not be an overbearing commitment for our members as most are students.
Some examples of past events include sushi making with the chef at The Fish Market, grape picking and tasting at the Fallbrook Winery, an International barbecue cook off, Phil’s BBQ tour and tasting, and a Stone Brewery Tour. This past semester we also started a monthly tradition called Restaurant of the Month. This is where we choose a restaurant to attend, and sample some of their signature dishes. Each time we have gained more attendance, and have gone to places such as R Gang Eatery in Hillcrest and Cucina Urbana in Hillcrest. In addition, we have also had an eye out to be a helping hand where needed.
Our philanthropic efforts have increased both semesters and we helped raised money for the San Diego Chapter of Feeding America where we set up a booth at the Farmer’s Market on campus and gave 5,737 pounds of food, which is equivalent to 4,590 meals.
Ultimately we are a group of young adults who are passionate about their education of the food world. This underlying passion has become the connection between all of our members and been the beginning of many friendships and possible career networks. Whether it be restaurant tours, tastings, city culinary tours, or just sharing recipes we have recently tried out, we continuously love to share our experiences with anyone else who is just as serious about food as ourselves.
Why Join the Foodie Family?
The answer is easy, we are a fun and educational club on campus that does philanthropy, helps people create a network of industry professionals, and lets students interact and learn through real world experiences. This is not your normal campus club, everything we do has a purpose and our goal is to see Foodies grow and make an impact on the hospitality industry. The students that comprise this organization range from people interested in being chefs, entrepreneurials wanting to start their own business, people who love to write about food and adventure, travelers, managers… you name it. We are comprised of people with enthusiasm and we hope to bring that to every member.