Deb Hofer

NDSU Dining’s Deb Hoffer goes the extra mile for every customer

If you’ve ever stepped foot in Minard Hall, you more than likely have seen Deb Hofer’s smiling face. Hofer has been with Dining for seven years, and has spent most of her time managing the Minard Coffee Shop.

Hofer’s journey in the food service industry started when she was just 15-years-old as a dishwasher. By age 19, she worked her way up to manager through her hard work, dedication, and love for the industry.

When it comes to customer service, Hofer gives her full, undivided attention to every customer that comes her way. “I love customer service, and often times I’ll say to my student employees, ‘No isn’t in our vocabulary.’ Meaning, we go the extra mile to get the customer whatever they need.”

Hofer’s approach to customer service is simple. “My approach to customer service is to treat each customer as if they are coming to my home and to make them feel appreciated because that’s how they should feel.”

During her career at NDSU Dining, Hofer shared that besides the daily interactions she has with her customers, the best part of working for dining is her student employees. “My students have been the best people to work with in my long career at Dining. My team is so diverse, caring, and all have great personal goals, which I’m sure that they will achieve. I would be so proud to call them one of my own children,” Hofer gushed.

This summer, Hofer and her team have been preparing for Dining’s newest venture, reopening Minard Coffee Shop as a Proudly Serving Starbucks® location. This an extremely exciting opportunity and Hofer said she is eager to take on the task. “Bringing in Starbucks is a great asset to NDSU Dining and I’m honored to be given the challenge.”