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Panini anyone?
How about Mongolian Grill? These are just two of the new menu items
introduced by the MCCC cafeteria in recent months. Along with an
expanded menu, the staff has placed a renewed emphasis on customer
service. According to Frank DiBella, general manager of Conference
and Dining Services, customers can expect service that is fast and
friendly, delivered by professional staff members in stylish burgundy
shirts and black pants.
DiBella, who has served as manager of the MCCC Conference Center
since 2005, assumed management of the college cafeteria last fall.
Before implementing improvements, he and his staff visited other
colleges to compare menus and prices, and also conducted an in-depth
survey on campus. "We took the pulse of both students and faculty
about their eating preferences and cafeteria utilization,"
he said. The survey was distributed in classrooms as well as the
cafeteria, so that his team was able to capture the responses of
people who are not necessarily existing customers.
The feedback from approximately 350 respondents was loud and clear.
"We found that people wanted more deli options, faster service,
and additional ethnic dishes that reflect the diversity of our campus,"
DiBella said.
With those requests in mind, the staff set about to gradually institute
changes. Addressing the issue of faster service, the cafeteria now
offers pre-made cold items, including salads, sandwiches and fruit
salad, and hot items such as hamburgers and steak sandwiches. To
facilitate the flow of customers, all food stations are now positioned
around the perimeter of the service area. "We have created
more of a food court atmosphere," DiBella said. "By spreading
out the stations, we avoid large clusters of customers clogging
up the middle."
The purchase of some new equipment to store and display food has
enhanced both quality and presentation. DiBella points to a storage
box for ready-to-serve pizza that controls both humidity and temperature.
A warming unit known as a slider keeps pre-prepared hot foods ready
for immediate purchase. A refrigerated display unit keeps cold items
chilled.
And then there's the food -- ethnic dishes, daily "eat light"
specials, and increased variety over all. Mongolian Grill, Paninis,
Italian dishes, and other international foods are featured items.
The daily menu includes egg and cheese sandwiches and other breakfast
fare, daily pizza specials, an extensive salad bar, soups, vegetarian
items, and a deli counter that serves sandwiches, wraps and hoagies.
Hoagies can be purchased in halves (6") or wholes (12");
both hoagies and whole pizzas can be pre-ordered and taken out for
group functions.
With the cafeteria now under the umbrella of Conference and Dining
Services, the college's entire food service operation has become
more efficient, according to DiBella. There is a larger labor pool
to draw from, so staff can be assigned according to need, especially
helpful during popular vacation times. The college has better buying
power because it can purchase in bulk. "We also have more consistent
quality standards," DiBella says. The Conference Center's executive
chef, Joe Chell, oversees both eateries, assisting Jackie Dunn and
Bill Downs with menu development and food purchasing.
Weekly menus are posted around the campus, appear on the college's
internal website, MLink, and are distributed in the cafeteria service
area and dining room. With most entrees priced at around $4, cafeteria
customers are not likely to find a more economical, tastier or more
varied menu anywhere.
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