Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today - 39

friends in a relaxed atmosphere. The dish room was also
renovated at this time.
Phase 3, which took place in summer 2022,
concentrated on the day area-the middle portion of the
venue. This phase combined two venues (the deli and
salad bar) and re-constructed two other areas (Fuse
and the pizza area).
" This is right where the
customers would come
in, so they would get the
excitement of the new
venue, " said Ross.
Phase 4, completed in the
summer of 2023, was the
final phase, focusing on the
morning area on the east end
of the room, which highlights
the tall windows that let in
the morning sun.
" We see students gravitate
toward their favorite area or sit in a section depending
on what type of mood they are in, " Ross said.
Paige Ermer, associate director, residential dining, said
UDM has seen an uptick in numbers each fall as a result
of the renovations.
" Students are always excited to see the updates and
are eager to hear about what's next, " Ermer said. " This
final phase will have something special this fall as many
students have seen progress over the years, but this will
be the grand reveal. "
SPECIAL DIET KITCHEN
Phase 4 also featured a remodel of the special diet
kitchen in UDM. A unique feature for ISU Dining, the
special diet kitchen provides dietary accommodations
to students with medically indicated special diets that
are difficult to self-manage. It's all self-serve-the dishes,
silverware, cups, bowls are all in place so as not to bring
in any potential allergens from the kitchen into that
space.
The space the special diet kitchen occupies was
originally designed to be a beverage area that serviced
two conference rooms.
" We never could open the conference area because we
needed the seating for the students, so we turned the
space into the special diet kitchen, " Ross explained.
Without a hood system in the space, everything needed
to be prepared using " home style " appliances.
" The food is gluten-free, free of peanuts and tree nuts.
Most of the menu items are free of the top nine allergens, "
Harken said. " There are also scratch-made baked goods for
the students with severe allergies to enjoy. "
Once they select their food, students can join their friends
in the main dining area.
" We try to make the menu similar to what their friends are
getting in the main dining area, " Harken said.
Each year brings a new group of students, some with
very special dietary restrictions, which sometimes poses a
challenge.
" We do our best to ensure the food in the special diet
kitchen meets the needs of all students we serve. That
often means reworking recipes, looking into new products,
and getting feedback from students on what foods they
enjoy, " Harken said. §
" Our dietitian at the time would find out what the students
want and craft individual recipes from that, " Ross said.
" Even before we made these renovations, we had families
choosing ISU solely because of the special diet kitchen. "
It has evolved from a customized menu for five students
a semester to serving the needs of 90 students, or an
average of 30 per meal
(breakfast, lunch, and
dinner). Food is prepared
and served in that space
by cooks trained through
Food Allergy Research
& Education (FARE)
practices.
Before the renovation of
the site, students would
enter where the food
was being prepared to
dish their food. Now, the
space is divided into a
prep area and a serving
area. The equipment
has all been upgraded. There is now a hood system and
dish washing station so cookware will not have to be
moved into or out of the area to lessen the chance of cross
contamination.
" It will be a considerable improvement for both the staff
and guests, " said ISU Dietitian Rebecca Harken.
SPECIAL DIET KITCHEN MENU
Harken develops a rotating special diet menu on a fourweek
cycle based on input from the students.
RENOVATIONS, RESTORATIONS, AND OVERHAULS | CAMPUS DINING TODAY
39
Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today

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