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Tessa Forsythe
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Cafeteria Struggles, Looks Forward to Changes
Rosanna Danielian supervises as Micah Heath works behind the grill station.
--Tessa Forsythe, photo
Multnomah Bible College's campus food services have experienced a bumpy year. Hen Troung, the former Aramark food service director for MBC, started the fall semester with a young, inexperienced staff composed mainly of students. Troung said two employees were hired two days before the beginning of the fall semester.
"Some have little to no cooking background. We had to start from the basics," Troung said. Troung said lack of cooking experience resulted in decreased variety and quality in the food offered.
However, the high turnover rate of employees was not the only factor, according to Melissa Wright, office manager for the campus support services. She said a new set of menus was introduced this spring, an improvement from last fall.
Staffing problems and student dissatisfaction aren't the only obstacles the new food services have experienced. Troung said the physical structure of the building also has been a challenge. Troung said the dining hall staff has had difficulties keeping the food warm because the cooking area is so far from the serving area.
Another factor is that the dining hall is designed to serve 200 people. "We are serving around 300 people," Troung said. The result is long lines and cramped seating.
Troung said customer relations has been a challenge. Many students don't understand the "all-you-can-eat" policy. "When you go to a buffet, you can't take food out with you," he said. He has seen an increase in the amount of food being taken out of the dining hall. When students take food out of the dining hall, dishes are lost. "I find them in the bushes sometimes," Troung said.
Troung said taking food out of the dining hall and taking too much food drive up Aramark's food costs.
Multnomah and Aramark are working on improvements. "The biggest plan is trying to get the dining hall built," Troung said. Many of the challenges in the current dining hall will be solved with the new building.
Wright said the new dining hall will be "all-around a better environment for eating and cooking. There will be more 'by order' cooking and more space to eat and pick up food and drop off trays."
Wright said the new dining facility also will work as a functioning concert hall and theater. "And no more kindergarten colors on the walls," she said.
Troung said Aramark is considering joining a composting program called Portland Compost! Dining hall staff would separate biodegradable waste from the rest of the trash, waste that Portland Compost! would use as compost for gardens.
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