Get to Know...Amanda Boyd

Some say Lou’s is the hidden gem of the Robins School of Business, from its iconic salad bar to the beloved red pepper gouda soup. Amanda Boyd, Lou’s chef manager, has worked there behind the scenes since its opening and has focused on making the cafe into a culinary community since then. 

Boyd began her culinary career at age 14, staffing a camp kitchen for a few summers and then working as a server and bartender through college. Boyd attended the Scottsdale Culinary School in Scottsdale, Arizona, where, during an internship at Wolfgang Puck's renowned five-star restaurant Spago in Los Angeles, she developed a deep love for cooking that inspired her to pursue it as a lifelong career.

Post-culinary school, Boyd worked at Whole Foods, where she steadily advanced by opening new stores and eventually becoming a trainer and associate team leader.

But her proudest moment was creating the culinary program at the Devereux Treatment Center in Scottsdale, a residential treatment center for behavioral health. The program allowed her to interact with residents who could get involved in the center’s community garden, attend field trips to tech centers, and host large family dinners. She formed a community at Devereux and channeled that same energy into her work at Lou’s. 

A typical day for Boyd involves both the front and back of house. She supervises the full-time and student staff while filing payroll, filling orders, and managing the café’s inventory. On the culinary side, Boyd does menu development and crafts many items in-house, such as dressing and sauces, while maintaining partnerships with local businesses to offer seasonal menu items. But her favorite part of her job is interacting with students and striving to make them happy daily.

Boyd also currently facilitates the ServSafe training program for Dining Services employees and is the Dining Services representative on the University Staff Advisory Council.

“There’s so much longevity here (at UR),” says Boyd, “which makes people feel invested in the school—and that's a great feeling.”