By Mike Sokol, Owner, Orange Springs Retreat Center · CCCA Member
Feeding 100, 140 or even 200 people at the same time is one thing. Serving that many people food they actually look forward to eating is something else entirely.
Under the direction of Executive Chef Kevin, our kitchen serves home-style meals for large groups without the feel of institutional food service. The praise comes from kids and teenagers attending school, church and youth retreats, as well as adults attending private group retreats.
Along with exclusive use of our 100+ acre campus and comfortable, climate-controlled dorm-style cabins, food has become one of the most memorable parts of the Orange Springs experience—and something returning groups regularly praise.
AT A GLANCE: GROUP DINING AT ORANGE SPRINGS
| Group size | 60–200+ guests |
| Dining hall | Seats 200+ |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepared on site |
| Executive Chef | Chef Kevin |
| Food style | Fresh cooked, home-style group meals |
| Meals per weekend | 5 (Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast) |
| Meals per week | 17 (6 nights / 7 days) |
| Menus | Planned with each group’s organizer in advance |
| Dietary needs | Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher-style and allergy-related needs are accommodated with advance notice |
| Good for | All ages: Kids, Teens and Adult groups |
| Cost | $205–$485 per person for meal-inclusive packages; published rates include taxes and fees |
| Campus model | One private group at a time |
| Location | 168 Camp Shalom Trail, Orange Springs, FL 32182 |
THE CHALLENGE: HOW DO YOU FEED 100+ PEOPLE AND STILL MAKE THE FOOD GOOD?
A large-group kitchen has to prepare enough food for everyone, have it ready on time, keep the retreat schedule moving and satisfy a wide range of tastes.
But efficiency can’t be the only goal. A meal can be perfectly efficient and completely forgettable.
Our approach:
- Plan before you arrive. We speak with organizers about who is coming, their preferences and dietary needs, then plan a menu for that group.
- Cook for one group only. Orange Springs is exclusive-use, so our kitchen serves only your retreat group, with meal times coordinated around your schedule.
- Keep it home-style. Familiar, satisfying, plentiful food that people actually want to eat.
- Keep everyone on campus. No restaurant trips, catering logistics or buses to coordinate for meals. The group walks to the dining hall for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the same campus where they sleep, meet and play.
For organizers, that removes one of the biggest questions of any multi-day retreat: How are we going to feed everybody?
What Guests Say About the Food at Orange Springs
The strongest evidence comes from the people who have eaten here.
A school brought 140 high school students to Orange Springs for a class retreat. After mentioning the lake, sports fields, cabins and ropes course, the review singled out one more thing:
“Best of all, we loved the food. Shout out to Chef Kevin!!!!!!”
— Sam H., high school class retreat
Read the review on Tripadvisor
A Christian youth group put it even more directly:
“The food is AMAZING, Chef did his thing! We will be coming back!!”
— Julissa Lawes, Free Life Chapel
And Staci Campbell almost left it out, then couldn’t:
“Oh I almost forgot…the AMAZING FOOD!!!”
— Staci Campbell, Renaissance Charter
Independent reviews on BookRetreats displayed a 5.00 out of 5.00 food rating. That means a lot to us because we aren’t a restaurant or a resort. We’re a private group retreat center, and food still becomes one of the things guests remember.
THE PICKY-EATER TEST
Anyone who has run a youth retreat, school trip or summer camp knows the challenge: picky eaters.
Stephanie Baldwin’s daughter attended cheer camp at Orange Springs and had a blast. Stephanie’s review says more to parents than any menu could:
“She’s a fairly picky eater and enjoyed every meal.”
— Stephanie Baldwin, cheer camp parent
For a parent sending a child away, that’s not a small detail. Parents want to know their kids will eat. Organizers don’t want students skipping meals because the food feels unfamiliar. That’s why our menus lean toward approachable, satisfying food rather than anything overly elaborate.
ADULTS NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE TOO
Good retreat food shouldn’t mean “kid food.”
Natalie Cano spent months planning an adult camp in Florida for Pages and Pines, her book-themed retreat hosted at venues across the country. She wrote:
“Kevin kept us fed SO well. I haven’t ever had as much positive feedback about our retreat food as I did this session, with two of my campers who are cousins even saying ‘this tastes like our Granny’s chicken.’”
— Natalie Cano, Pages and Pines, Google review
That “Granny’s chicken” comparison captures the feeling we aim for: meals that are comforting and memorable, even when the kitchen is serving a large group.
The same campus that works for a school retreat or church youth camp also feels welcoming for adults. Whether we’re feeding teenagers coming in from the lake or adults after a day of conversation, the dining hall should feel like a place to gather, not just somewhere to go because it’s mealtime.
MEET CHEF KEVIN
If you’ve stayed at Orange Springs recently, you probably know the name. Chef Kevin is our Executive Chef and leads the kitchen and dining operation.
His job is much more than cooking. A weekend retreat typically includes five meals; a six-night camp includes 17. Chef Kevin plans quantities, coordinates serving times with each group’s schedule, manages the kitchen team, addresses dietary needs and works to keep quality consistent from the first meal to the last.
That’s why groups so often mention him by name. One week-long church camp wrote:
“The meals were plentiful and absolutely delicious!”
— Steven W.
The reviewer praised Chef Kevin and how well the kitchen accommodated the group. Their insider tip? Try the fried chicken.
Meet Chef Kevin and the rest of our on-site staff
CHEF-PREPARED MENUS DESIGNED AROUND YOUR GROUP
There’s no single retreat menu that fits every organization. A middle school class trip may have different tastes from an adult retreat, and a church group staying a week needs a different meal rotation from a school staying Friday through Sunday.
That’s why we plan with organizers before arrival. We discuss preferences and dietary requirements so the kitchen can prepare appropriately. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher-style and allergy-related needs can often be accommodated with advance notice; specific requirements should be confirmed with our team before booking.
Large-group dining doesn’t have to be impersonal. You can feed 100+ people efficiently and still put thought into what’s on their plates.
WHAT DO MEAL-INCLUSIVE RETREATS COST?
Per-person packages combine lodging, chef-prepared meals, meeting space, standard activities and exclusive use of the campus. The published rates below include taxes and fees.
2027–2028 MEAL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
| Length of stay | Meals | Off-season, 60–99 | Off-season, 100+ | Summer 2028, 100+ |
| 2 nights / 3 days | 5 | $255/person | $205/person | $215/person |
| 3 nights / 4 days | 8 | $315/person | $255/person | $265/person |
| 4 nights / 5 days | 11 | $375/person | $315/person | $325/person |
| 5 nights / 6 days | 14 | $435/person | $375/person | $385/person |
| 6 nights / 7 days | 17 | $485/person | $425/person | $435/person |
Off-season(September 2027–April 2028):
60-guest minimum.
Summer: (May-August 2028’):
100-guest minimum.
Meals typically run from dinner on arrival through breakfast on departure. Confirm dates, minimums, package inclusions and current rates before booking.
See the full 2027–2028 pricing guide
CAN GROUPS PROVIDE THEIR OWN FOOD?
Yes, during summer under our facility-only rental option. Published facility-only rates range from $14,500 to $29,500 per stay and include access to the commercial kitchen, but not meals, for groups that self-cater or arrange outside catering. Confirm kitchen-use conditions and package details before booking.
Many groups choose meals included for a simple reason: feeding 100–200 people three times a day is a serious operation. When our kitchen handles it, leaders can focus on running the retreat instead of running food service.
WHY GROUPS KEEP COMING BACK
There isn’t one reason organizations return year after year. Three strengths stand out in the Orange Springs experience:
- Privacy. Your organization has exclusive use of the entire 100+ acre campus. One private group at a time. Always.
- Comfort. Participants stay in climate-controlled, dormitory-style cabins with updated mattresses.
- Food. Everyone can sit down together for meals prepared on site by Chef Kevin and our kitchen team.
Add the spring-fed lake, white-sand beach, pool, sports fields, gym, meeting spaces, ropes course, climbing wall and campfires, and your group doesn’t have to leave campus to eat, sleep, meet or play.
When you cook for 100, 140 or 200 people, making enough food is only part of the job. The harder standard is whether people enjoyed it. Whether a picky eater enjoyed every meal. Whether an adult guest said the chicken tasted like Granny’s. Whether 140 students remembered Chef Kevin by name. And whether, when the group returns next year, they’re looking forward to gathering around the dining hall tables again.
That’s the standard we hold ourselves to.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MEALS AT ORANGE SPRINGS RETREAT CENTER
Are meals included when renting Orange Springs Retreat Center?
Meal-inclusive packages cover lodging, chef-prepared meals, standard activities and exclusive use of the campus. A summer facility-only option without meals is also available.
Who prepares the food?
Meals are prepared on site under the direction of Executive Chef Kevin and the Orange Springs kitchen team.
Can Orange Springs feed more than 100 people?
Yes. We host private groups of 60–200+, and the dining hall seats 200+ so large groups can dine together.
How many meals are in a weekend retreat or a week-long camp?
A typical two-night weekend includes five meals. A six-night/seven-day stay includes 17 meals.
How much does a retreat with meals cost?
For 100+ guests, meal-inclusive packages range from $205–$425 per person during the September–April off-season and $215–$435 per person during Summer 2028, depending on length of stay. Off-season groups of 60–99 guests have separate rates of $255–$485 per person.
Is the food good for kids and picky eaters?
Our reviews include praise from school groups, cheer camps and church youth groups. One parent wrote that her daughter was a picky eater but “enjoyed every meal.”
Do adults enjoy the food too?
Yes. Adult retreat organizers have also praised the meals. Natalie Cano shared that guests compared Chef Kevin’s cooking to their grandmother’s chicken.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher-style and allergy-related needs can often be accommodated with advance notice. Please confirm specific requirements with our team before booking.
Do we share the dining hall with other groups?
No. Orange Springs is exclusive-use: one private group at a time.
BRING YOUR GROUP—AND YOUR APPETITE
Orange Springs Retreat Center is a private, exclusive-use retreat venue in Orange Springs, Putnam County, Florida, for organized groups of 60–200+. Schools, churches, youth camps, adult camps, leadership programs and summer camps come here to gather on one private campus.
They get the lake, the activities, comfortable lodging and the entire campus to themselves. And thanks to Chef Kevin and our kitchen team, they also get something people don’t always expect from a camp or retreat center: really good food.
Sample Weekend Menu
Menus are planned with each group, fully customizable, but a typical weekend might like this:
| Day 1 – Friday | |
| Dinner | Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken, Yellow Rice, Salad Bar, Roast Veggies |
| Cake, Fruit Punch | |
| Day 2 – Saturday | |
| Cold Breakfast | Coffee, bacon, sausage, Toast Bar, Milk, OJ, Fruit |
| Hot Breakfast | Scrambled eggs, hash browns, pancakes, Oatmeal |
| Lunch | Burgers and Hot Dogs, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, French fries, Cookies |
| Dinner | Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad Bar |
| Late Night Snack | Brownies, Fruit Punch |
| Day 3 – Sunday | |
| Cold Breakfast | Coffee, Toast Bar, Milk, OJ, Fruit |
| Hot Breakfast | Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, Hash Browns, French Toast, Oatmeal |
Dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergy-related, and kosher-style) can often be accommodated with advance notice.
Contact Orange Springs Retreat Center today to discuss availability, request pricing, or schedule a tour of the property:
Located just south of Gainesville, Florida, Orange Springs Retreat Center offers Group Retreat Rentals, Fall & Spring School/Church Camp venue, and an ideal Summer Camp Location. What separates us from other retreat venues is true exclusivity:
“One Group At a Time Always- No Shared Spaces, No Outside Guests”
Check out how Orange Springs Retreat Center was featured in the New York Times.