New dining gets mixed reactions

While overall most students said that the food was better, several workers complained about the management. Since the University outsourced its Dining Services operation to Bon Appetit Management Co. last spring, officials have said students would see improvements in food quality, menu diversity and customer service when they returned to school in the fall. But so far, both students and Dining employees have had mixed opinions on whether there is indeed anything different in the dining facilities this year, and some have even called the move a change for the worse. Yet according to Peg Lacey, the University's top campus dining official, the list of improvements is long. In addition to standard menu items, each dining hall already has, or will soon have, certain food options specific to that facility. "Last year we ran? basically the same menu in all of the four dining units," Lacey said. "[This year] there are items that are unique to that particular dining area." Lacey said that there are also some changes in food preparation techniques as well as the presentation of the food. For example, the recently-renovated Hill College House dining facility now includes a "noodle bar" where students can choose from a variety of ingredients before their meal is prepared, while Sunday brunches now include more personalized foods, like eggs made to order. Bon Appetit also held training sessions for Dining employees this summer in areas like customer service and food preparation, and Lacey said that such training will continue into the future. "I would say that some of the areas have gone very well and there's still room for improvement," Lacey said. Some students said that they have noticed a difference in food selection and quality, citing better juices and fresh breads, better bagged meals at Stouffer Dining Commons' Lunch Express, more nutritional information on menus and better decorations in the facilities. "The food is great," College sophomore Diya Kochhar said. "They have a wonderful selection. Last year I would always eat the pasta because there was nothing else." And Wharton junior Renos Savvides said, "I think it's better, but not by much." But others were not convinced that anything is different in dining facilities this year. "I think it's pretty much the same," Wharton junior Fernando Diamond said. "To me it's basically the same," College junior Hannah Koh said. "They just rearranged a little." Many students praised the new look of Hill House's recently renovated dining facility but complained that it is not as functional as it used to be. "It looks nice now but it doesn't seem to function as well," Engineering sophomore Geoffrey Smith said. "It's too congested." And Dining employees also expressed differing opinions on the new managerial structure. Jibreel Williams, who has worked for Dining Services for five years, said he likes the new management. "It's a lot more like a restaurant. It's more pleasant," Williams said, adding that "the management team is better." But one Dining employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called the new management team "very unprofessional," adding that workers are being treated "like we're nobodies." The worker said that the facility has already faced food shortages because not enough food is being ordered or prepared on time. "The students get upset at us, [but] we're just serving the food." And another Dining worker said that the department has seen a number of people quit since Bon Appetit was placed in charge. "Since Bon Appetit's been here, it's been more difficult. It was better the old way." The management switch terminated 20 positions within the department. Employees whose jobs were eliminated were given the chance to reapply for a position within the new management structure. Of those, 11 chose to apply and eight were hired.

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