LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Compass Group will begin managing dining and concessions at the University of Kentucky on July 1, 2026, as part of a new long-term enterprise services partnership the university says is designed to improve coordination across its growing institution while protecting employee jobs, pay and benefits, the university announced.
UK and Compass Group are in the process of formalizing the agreement, which is being rolled out in phases. The partnership is planned to eventually cover a range of services, including dining and concessions, maintenance, grounds, custodial, in-patient transport and in-patient sitters across UK, UK HealthCare, UK King's Daughters and UK St. Claire.
University officials said all current UK employees will continue to have a job with the university and will keep their pay and benefits. Employees affected by the transition will be offered the opportunity to continue in their work with comparable compensation and benefits. Compass Group will also provide access to expanded training, development, apprenticeships and career opportunities across its broader network.
"This partnership represents the next phase of how we support our growing, more complex university — and how we do so thoughtfully with our people and our purpose at the center of what we do," President Eli Capilouto said. "Just as we have reimagined housing, research and health care to meet the needs of today and tomorrow, this partnership is about building strong, coordinated services that can meet and sustain the demand of excellence across the entire UK enterprise."
Compass Group is not new to Kentucky. The company already employs more than 1,400 people supporting UK HealthCare, along with other businesses, services and venues across the Commonwealth, officials reported.
"We are honored to have been selected as the University of Kentucky's preferred partner for enterprise services," Palmer Brown, CEO of Compass Group North America, said. "This collaboration represents one of the most comprehensive and forward-looking service partnerships in higher education and health care today — focused not only on operational excellence, but also on hospitality, innovation and meaningful impact across the communities UK serves. Together, we have an opportunity to create a new model for integrated enterprise services that supports students, patients, caregivers, employees, fans and the entire Commonwealth."
Eric Monday, executive vice president for finance and administration and co-executive vice president for health affairs, said the partnership will allow the university to focus on its core mission.
"This partnership with Compass Group will create a stronger foundation for essential services as UK continues to grow," Monday said. "Partnerships like this allow us to focus more fully on our core mission of teaching, research, service and patient care to ultimately advance Kentucky in all that we do."
