Students have come to expect social distancing and longer waits at the University of Idaho’s cafeteria, The Hub. COVID-19-related guidelines may have slowed service, but they haven’t stopped staff from acknowledging the importance of customer service.
James Barry, a UI campus chef, has overseen all food processes on campus for only a few weeks, but he has worked in the culinary field for the past 17 years. Bryanna Muscella, UI on-site marketing specialist, has worked at UI since February 2020.
Both work for Sodexo, a worldwide facilities and food management company which provides UI’s food services. Sodexo’s Rise Program breaks down all facets of dining to create a “game plan” adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, from social distancing and building lines to maximizing nutrition.
Since late August, The Hub has struggled with monitoring social distancing between students. The staff have put proper signage in place, along with procedures and protocols, but students can still ignore the guidelines.
Jordan Sawle, a sophomore double majoring in film and television studies and journalism, said The Hub is her first option when looking for a meal. When the lines stretch out the front door, she eats out or at home. Most of the time, she’s avoided the long lines.
“When you come into the cafe or a restaurant, the one thing we as individuals have power over is our food choices,” Barry said. “We realize here at The Hub that’s the one thing we can offer, that freedom of choice.”
Barry said the staff does 15-minute counts each day to determine rush times. At busier times, a couple more cooks or staff members are added to the kitchen to ramp up production.
Attendance has increased for breakfast, so food has been moved closer to the kitchen to allow more people to stand in line inside.
Muscella said safety is The Hub staff’s top priority. While long lines are not appealing, it’s part of the new normal of CDC guidelines. Barry said the last thing staff want to do is rush the people standing in the extensive lines.
Both Muscella and Barry believe customer service is important to the dining experience. The staff interact with the students by asking how their day is going and which food items they want from the line.
Brittany Beard, a sophomore majoring in pre-med, has food allergies and has experienced multiple allergic reactions to food at The Hub. She said having a more detailed ingredients list for the food and desserts would help prevent this from happening in the future.
The simple serving line caters to those with the eight main food allergies in the U.S., including peanuts, dairy, soy and shellfish. Those allergens are omitted from the food at this station.
Alexandria Foelsch, a senior pre-vet major, said the longer lines are understandable. Many students want the same items at the same time, so the staff take longer because they have to walk to other stations to retrieve more. Some of the food items now served by staff used to be self-serve, another reason for long lines.
Beard and Foelsch said they wanted to have more variety at The Hub. Foelsch said the food could be bland tasting at times, which was disappointing.
Recently, desserts and the pizza line became available at The Hub. Muscella said she and Barry are collaborating with local community partners and growers to provide a station focused solely on fresh produce and foods from local vendors like Linc Foods, Vandal Meats and the Soil Stewards student farm.
The Hub will continue to offer full service during the academic year and transition to its normal academic break schedule during breaks.
Kim Stager an be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @journalismgoals.