By John Perrino
It was 3 p.m. on a weekday, well past the mad rush at J
Street, and freshman Ben Kurtis headed to Metro Diner to grab a quick bite.
Ordering what he believed would be a quick-to-prepare item;
Kurtis was unknowingly in for a long wait.
“It’s awful, it took twenty minutes to get a chicken caesar
wrap,” the freshman said of his experiences at Metro Diner.
Kurtis is not the only student frustrated by the performance
of the Sodexo run student dining.
Alongside numerous complaints about wait times, students
cite lack of options and high prices as reasons they avoid J Street and instead utilize the
variety of restaurants around campus, many of which accept Colonial Cash.
Freshmen such as Kurtis, however, have $700 per semester
they have to spend at campus dining as part of their meal plan.
In her first couple months serving as Marketing Director for
GW Campus Dining, Sarah Stevenson has started to navigate the changes that have already taken place at J Street and decide what new changes are needed.
With limited documentation of the massive changes that have
taken place at J Street over the past couple years, Stevenson had to play detective and piece
together the recent changes in layout and offerings.
The main focus of Stevenson’s investigation now: “What does
the customer want?”
Sophomore Michael Morgan of the GW Student Association and
Student Dining Board would like to take away this “iron curtain” between students and
campus dining.
The “Challenge is adequate student voice,” Morgan said. “If
it is a good idea, they will do it.”
Morgan believes Sodexo cares about students. He said they respond to
feedback and suggestions such as how they prepare meats, cooking them daily in house instead of using frozen types.
After a recent student suggestion on Twitter, Metro Diner offered nachos in preparation for International Day of the Nacho Stevenson said.
Despite the efforts of campus dining, there are going to be
“growing pains” Morgan said. Campus dining is a business and Sodexo has to make money.
This means students have to show a need for suggestions such
as extending hours or expanding options.
Right now there are ideas in the works to bring in students
focusing on special events at J Street.
“I definitely want to bring in student groups (to the dining
area). That is how everyone comes together,” Stevenson said.
Morgan would like to start a once-a-week formal dinner
experience at J Street with the possibility of a surf and turf dinner and other sit-down options.
Students can make their voices heard through campus dining's online and social media platforms.
http://gwcampusdining.com
@GWCampusDining
