Lauren Russell
News Reporter

Although cafeteria conditions were a little rough last semester, as staff and students made the transition from the Maverick Pavilion into the new student center, managers and staff have focused on making improvements.
Director of Operations Daniel Widhammer said that transitioning into the brand new facility caused problems, because they didn’t know how students would use the new space.
“Going from the tent to here was like night and day,” said Widhammer. “When students actually showed up, it was a little different than what we expected.”
At the beginning of the semester, students experienced impossibly long lines and long wait times for food. Now that a routine has been established in the dining hall, the staff is making adjustments to better meet the needs of students.
They have modified the service format, added extra stations and increased the staff. They have also cross-trained the staff so that servers can be moved to the most crowded stations. Lines have become noticeably shorter, and managers have randomly timed students to ensure that going through the line only takes one to two minutes.
According to cafeteria cashier, Molly Stewart, students seem to “really like” the changes, which she thinks are beneficial towards making the dining hall “more efficient.”
“It’s convenient. They offer plenty of choices, and it’s a nice atmosphere,” sophomore Kristen Manning said.
Employee engagement is a big focus too. According to Jeff Lougee, a member of operations, he wants staff to interact with students, making them feel like “everyone is a guest here.”
“No matter how much management [is involved], it’s the staff that makes the difference,” Widhammer said.
Lougee wants to involve the entire staff in the process of “kicking it up,” and has been working towards this with pre-service huddles – meetings before every meal where the staff talks through how the meal should run, and managers have a chance to reward employees for exceptional work.
“Overall, everything has improved: food quality, flavor, variety, options and freshness. We all make food pretty much to order. In the tent it would sit, now it’s constantly cooking,” Resident Dining Supervisor Craig Shearwood said.
“The food tastes a lot better, and the setup is a lot easier to manage,” junior Brandon Bingaman said.
The next step in improvement, according to Widhammer is “making sure we’re serving what the students want.”
Managers want to hear student feedback so that they can continue to make improvements that serve the needs of students. Comment cards are available in the cafeteria, and there is always a manager on site. Students can also leave feedback online, at www.mesastatedining.com, which offers promotions and coupons. They can also access their Facebook page, listed as Mesa State Dining.

lrrussel@mesastate.edu