Meet the culinary creative behind many of the flavors at FlavUR

The University of Richmond opened FlavUR, its newest dining location, this fall, and there’s a unique story behind its flavorful creation.

Located in the Well-Being Center, FlavUR provides Latin and Mediterranean-inspired dishes as well as made-to-order bowls, wraps, smoothies, and breakfast, according to a university media release published last month. 

Tyler Betzhold, executive chef for UR’s Dining Services, said the idea for FlavUR derived from his office’s role to look for what’s next on campus based on student feedback, food trends and what’s popular outside the campus community. 

However, Betzhold said one person in particular played a crucial role in establishing the restaurant: Liliana Diaz Duran, a floater production manager with Dining Services.

“I basically gave her the blueprint, and then she made it come to life,” he said. 

Duran, who is originally from Mexico, started working at UR in May 2023. She mainly helps the morning and evening managers while assisting the weekly bars and special events in the Heilman Dining Center, including directing the annual Latinx Heritage Dinner.

When Betzhold invited her to collaborate on building FlavUR’s menu during the summer, Duran said she was thrilled to have an opportunity to share her culture with students.

With only a few foundational ideas in mind, Duran began developing recipes with ingredients she was familiar with. Several of FlavUR’s current recipes are nostalgic for Duran, being ones passed down through generations in her family. 

One dish in particular is a dressing she made from a recipe her mom often uses during Christmas time.

Duran said she called her mom to ask for the recipe soon after being tasked by Betzhold, to which her mom was delighted to hand down once Duran explained what the recipe would be used for. 

Birria, a featured menu item at FlavUR, is another familiar dish to Duran. Birria is eaten every weekend in Mexico as it’s a classic comfort food, especially after a long night out, she said. 

Duran said her favorite dish at FlavUR, though, is the corn salsa because it reminds her of the street corn she grew up eating in Mexico. Despite FlavUR’s version being vegan, she said she can still taste that recognizable flavor.

Betzhold said Duran’s personal connection with FlavUR’s diverse flavor profiles was the kind of authenticity he desired for the new restaurant. 

“It’s her talent and what she has done and her breadth of experience that brought something that we would not have gotten here,” he said. 

Betzhold said student response to FlavUR has been positive, with a 20 to 25% increase in guests per day since its opening at the beginning of the semester. 

However, monetarily, that same growth has not been shared, Betzhold said, an expected result due to FlavUR’s more affordable approach. 

FlavUR is recognizably more affordable than its predecessor, Organic Krush, which opened on campus in 2021 and closed at the end of the spring 2024 semester.

The most expensive signature bowl or wrap at FlavUR is priced at $11, while at Organic Krush the most expensive signature dish was priced at $18.76. 

Betzhold said the restaurant’s affordability significantly contributes to its sustainability since people can dine there more than once a week. The restaurant also requires fewer people to operate, which he believes will further its viability. 

Another major difference contributing to the restaurant’s sustainability is that it’s part of dining services, whereas Organic Krush was not, Betzhold said.

Making FlavUR more consistent with the rest of dining services means items bought for FlavUR are distributed among other campus dining locations, and any items that can be purchased locally are automatically purchased locally, Betzhold said. 

Prior to the restaurant’s opening, select campus community members were invited twice during the summer to sample the menu and provide input.

“That’s why it’s so important to get feedback, to get buy-in, to confirm the path we’re on is paramount because we want to be successful,” he said. 

Duran said she gets joy from receiving student feedback. It excites her to know students are willing to try new things and step out of their culinary comfort zone. 

“I just want everybody to enjoy it and learn about our culture, that it’s not like Chipotle or Taco Bell,” she said. “I think it’s something that could be not only big for students but for people around Richmond to know about.” 

Since she doesn’t see many authentic Latin restaurants in Richmond, Duran said it was an honor to bring those special flavors to this small corner of the city.

Senior Jessica Hay had worked at Organic Krush since her first year and has continued working at FlavUR since her prior position carried over, she said. 

As FlavUR continues to grow, Hay said it should embrace the cultural aspects of its menu more, along with highlighting its creation process. 

“I think it would be really cool as a student to understand what the process was like and where the inspiration came from,” she said. 

For Duran, the most inspiring part of the process came from being able to freely exercise her creativity and to have that creativity embraced by everyone involved in building FlavUR.  

“It’s something that has made me very happy to see, for life to be a reality, and I want nothing but success in that place,” she said.

Contact writer Grace Randolph at grace.randolph@richmond.edu.