Upperclassmen returning to UR have come back to a medley of changes ? most noticeably in dining services.
?We have made a concerted effort to focus on the food and on the service,? said Paul Palmer, Aramark regional district manager. ?We wanted to make the food better, fresher. We believe we?ve succeeded.?
The Danforth choice
In Danforth Dining Center, students have the choice to eat from Pan Geos, Mediterranean Pasta, Bene?s Pizza, the Sizzle grill and a deli.
The Granary, which was a favorite among students, will return to Danforth within two weeks.
?From my perspective, the focus in Danforth has been on the quality, presentation and safety of the food and on customer service,? said District Chef Paul Bartlett.
Douglass Food Court offers a variety of new choices from mexican cuisine to rotisserie chicken. Familiar choices of pizza, wraps, salads and kosher sandwiches are also available.
At Wilson Commons, the only change has been the addition of Allegro Pasta, where students can choose from two different pastas and sauces each day.
Additionally, prices for a la carte items across campus have been standardized.
Students are still not able to use their declining balance at the Corner Store, a change that River Campus Dean of Students Mary Beth Cooper had said would take effect at the beginning of the year.
One issue common to all dining centers on campus is that of long wait times.
?You always have to wait in line to get your food,? said freshman Alex Heyman.
Palmer explained that since hiring for the year isn?t yet complete, there are delays that should disappear as the year progresses and as new employees are trained. Aramark is working on filling more than 100 openings that currently exist for students.
Sandy Aimes, area manager in Wilson Commons, explained that Dining Services was in the process of returning to their usual operations, and many employees are still being trained.
Lack of nutritional quality
Besides the long wait during heavy traffic times, students continued a common complaint ? nutrition in the dining centers.
?I think the food is really bad for the students? health,? said Mariko Tamate, professor of Japanese. ?There?s not a good selection of vegetables. I can see my students gaining weight year after year.?
Take Five Scholar Michelle de Castro agreed.
?It?s impossible to maintain a healthy diet and have good selection at the same time. I now bring my own food with me to the Pit.?
An addition to Wilson Commons that will further improve speed is a chute that will be added at Grille Works, where students can pick up sandwiches and burgers that have already been made.
Aramark will continue to solicit student input with the Dine With The Director program, comment cards and a customer survey at the end of September.
