CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021 - 20

global supply chain shortages impacted our vendors,
creating challenges for our food and service options.
To address these issues, managers and chefs adapted
through innovative menu engineering. Food managers
leveraged their relationships with suppliers to find
alternatives for favorite ingredients or entire dishes,
while chefs applied nothing less than culinary magic
to create menus that reduced labor inputs and
workaround ingredient limitations-continuing to
satisfy.
Marks said, " We've been bringing in items from
suppliers that we haven't traditionally used. We may
have had an ingredient specification that we really
liked, but we've now been challenged to find the
equally great combinations out there that we hadn't
used, or to find a use that might not be the same as
the original recipe. "
" We have also been able to take supply pressure
off some of our typically highest-demand items by
highlighting other menu options. That means making
sure we're offering food that is visually appealing,
tastes great, and creates a comforting experience for
our students so they come back looking for it. For
example, we've emphasized the environmental, health,
and nutrition benefits of some of our more plantforward
foods. "
To diversify and stabilize supplies, the university also
takes advantage of its agricultural capabilities for
homegrown sourcing. " Our local foods-focused venue,
Farms at Owens Food Court, offers soups that are
made from our on-campus Homefield Farm produce
and preserved in campus kitchens in the summer, "
said Marks. " We can offer a soup and sandwich with
a combination of local and organic ingredients or a
grab and go soup and salad created and packaged in
southgate, our commissary kitchen. "
Besides the 50,000 pounds of organic produce the
campus farm grows for dining centers while teaching
students about sustainable farming, the university's
agriculture department produces beef, eggs, and
milk. " We work with them to purchase these, so while
there may be supply challenges with products in the
industry, our local partnership can help us minimize
dependency on particular suppliers, " said Marks.
dining center renovations have served as another
path to keep the campus dining experience delightful
for students. since spring 2020, we have updated
five of our concepts, with changes to branding, visual
surfaces, lighting, customer flow, layout, and service
and menu options. Brandon Hendricks, associate
director, said " While plans on these refreshes could
have paused, we continued with the work since resources were allocated
and the increased efficiencies from the work would be needed. students
have come to expect a steady stream of improvements to the facilities,
and throughout the 2020-21 academic year, we did not vary from that
expectation. "
For dining services to be able to provide a positive experience for patrons,
it has been crucial to acknowledge and respond to the stresses that the
pandemic has placed on employees. Marks said, " We have over 15,000
dining plan holders. staffing challenges are very real in our industry,
not just on campuses, but nationwide. I am proud to be working at a
university that recognizes the importance of staff and student wellness.
We're asking so much of our staff who continue to give everything they
have in the second year of a pandemic. Right now, taking care of our
team, while always essential, is elevated as a priority. "
As pandemic restrictions have eased, we have re-engaged with students
to ensure our dining experiences provide a break from pandemic and
everyday stresses. Executive chef Randall van dyke said, " After a year
behind glass, we are bringing community back physically. Chefs and
managers are engaging more directly with students, checking in on
patrons at their tables. We try to make each student's problems fade for
the 30 minutes they dine with us. "
Five Ways to Keep Patrons
Connected Through Dining
1. Embrace the mission.
dining is essential to well-being and
connection.
2. Focus on what you can provide.
This can counterbalance frustrations with
service or supply limitations.
3. Treat every interaction as an opportunity to
connect.
How we serve can be as important
as what we serve.
4. Check in on staff.
sympathize and share wellness resources for
them to be their best.
5. Celebrate special occasions.
Create dining experiences that allow patrons
to be fully in the moment despite outside
stressors.
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CAMPUS DINING TODAY | RIsK MANAgEMENT
CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021

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