In Summer 2006, Porter teamed with the architectural firms of Spillman Farmer and Mesher Shing McNutt to develop the new Colonnades Dining Hall at Elon University. This venue includes an all-you-care-to-eat residential dining facility on the second floor and three retail venues on the first floor; a Boars Head deli, the Loose Leaf Wrap Station and a c-store. These three venues share one central cashier station in order to reduce labor.

The residential dining venue features a mix of traditional and specialty food stations with a strong emphasis on display cooking. Food venues include an international foods station (grilled and ethnic offerings), Mediterranean (pizza and pasta), Bakery, and the Chop Shop (comfort foods and daily specials). The servery is designed to feel like a restaurant, with a variety of different seating options and upscale finishes. The adjacent dining room is also themed to complement the contemporary servery. In addition to the retail venues on the first floor, there is also a central receiving area for all of the dining venues in this building along with a production kitchen that supports both the residential and retail dining outlets.