Columbia Dining Services is looking to make major changes in its operations and in the hours of its locations this semester and the next, according to Executive Director of Dining Services Joseph Heavey.
Modifications include a response to the call for sustainability in food operations, schedules that are more convenient for students, and the availability of flex options off-campus. Starting today, Ferris Booth Commons will be serving brunch every Friday, complete with cage-free eggs made to order. John Jay Dining Hall is working with EcoReps, the student group that works with the Office of Housing and Dining to cut down the University’s ecological footprint, on an initiative known as “trayless Thursdays” that will monitor waste at the dining hall.
“We see a huge amount of food and beverage waste on the tray belt, as students tend to take more food when trays are provided,” Heavey said.
While “trayless Thursdays” is currently a pilot project, it could be extended depending on its effectiveness in reducing food waste. Last semester, employees and students practiced tray scraping to measure consumer waste in the dining hall, and the data compiled from that project will be compared with the amount of waste on a trayless day this semester.
Other ecologically friendly programs are in the works, including “sustainable seafood,” or seafood that has been captured with sustainability and environmental considerations kept in mind. While salmon was served at John Jay every Friday in the past, this has now been toned down to once every few weeks. But students craving salmon can sample the offerings in Ferris Booth, where “sustainable” salmon, sourced from a different region and caught in a more sustainable fashion is served.
With regard to hours, Dining Services is considering altering John Jay’s schedule to be open straight from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. next academic year, with breakfast food laid out at 8 a.m., lunch options at 10 a.m. and dinner options at 4:30 p.m.
According to Dining Services, a number of challenges arise with such a change. Working out a viable staffing model, providing fresh food over the course of day, and creating sensible transitions between meals will all become issues. “It comes to the question of what food is appropriate at different times. Who’s eating what at 3:30 in the afternoon?” Heavey said.
The introduction of off-campus flex this semester will impact decisions concerning retail options on campus. While discussions about keeping JJ’s Place open during the day and on the weekends are in the works, the administration doesn’t want to unnecessarily dilute the market by making these changes, especially not until the effect of off-campus flex on business on campus spending becomes apparent.
The modifications to JJ’s also pose the problem of moving from a five-day-a-week operation to a seven-day operation, and this would require hiring another manager. As Heavey joked, “We’re having a bit of trouble convincing the current manager to work seven days a week!”
A proposal to allow students multiple meal swipes may also take effect next academic year. Instead of only being able to swipe once at brunch and once at dinner, students may soon be able to go to John Jay five separate times and swipe each time, Heavey says.
“The current model doesn’t seem to meet student’s lifestyles,” he said. “The reason we had the single swipe system in the first place was to help manage the amount of swipes students have, and to mete out swipes through course of term so they wouldn’t run out too early in the semester.”