Tech’s Food Services has established a Food Committee in an effort to help improve the quality of food and students’ overall experiences in on-campus dining.
The committee, which is expected to meet once a month, met Oct. 11. The committee consists of students, faculty and staff.
Sam Holm, director of Food Services, is head of the committee. The committee focuses on helping the Food Services managers and staff so that they may grasp a better understanding of what students would consider an ideal dining service.
“Help us create the best meal program on campus,” Holm said. “That’s what the committee is about.”
Several students brought forward issues during the meeting. Two of the main topics included the efficiency of Yan Can Cook and the operation hours of Swoops Food Court.
One student said that Yan Can Cook has been out of certain menu items several times when she has eaten there. She also said that the food was of poor quality when served.
“That shouldn’t be the case,” Holm said. “It’s fresh and hot. There’s nothing worse than Asian food that’s soggy and gross.”
Holm added that he would further investigate the matter and would be visiting Yan Can Cook more frequently.
Another student commented on the efficiency of the service at Yan Can Cook.
“I like the food there,” Allen Mullis, graduate student, said. “I like the quality. I like how they cook it right then. It’s fresh; I just think the ordering process could improve.”
Some of the Food Services staff members who were present at the meeting attributed the long lines in Swoops Food Court to students being too selective with their orders. They said that students who are unprepared and overly particular while ordering may cause other students to wait in unnecessary long lines, and eliminating the problem relies on the students themselves.
A Tech athlete at the meeting suggested keeping Mondo Subs and Back Yard Burgers open later than the restaurants at The Perch. The athlete said that her team usually does not finish practice until after Swoops Food Court is closed, and she feels that there is nowhere to get a lighter, healthier meal on campus after certain hours.
Holm explained that The Perch is open later than Swoops Food Court because it is more convenient for students living in the residence halls surrounding it. The original intent of The Perch was to be open late for the convenience of students living on campus, Holm said.
However, this doesn’t hold true for students in Crawford Hall and the Capitol Quad.
Holm has tried to initiate a food committee in the past, but was unsuccessful with the attempts.
“We’ve tried to start it off and on, but we never got any student support,” Holm said. “Last year was the first year that we actually seemed to get some interest, and this year seems to be a little stronger so maybe we’re gaining some momentum.”
Holm said that, ideally, he would like to have a committee consisting of 15-25 members. He would like for the students to outnumber the staff, but have equal representation of both on-campus and off-campus students.
According to Holm, a couple of the advantages for participating with the Food Committee include receiving a free meal and the accomplishment of changing and adjusting Food Services in order to meet people’s needs.
“I want the students to get very comfortable with the managers because, in my opinion, the more comfortable you are with a person, the more likely you are to walk up and talk to them about your problems,” Holm said. “Bottom line, we want to hear from the students how to run their food service. We want to run it the best we can and how you guys want it.”
For more information about the food committee, contact Sam Holm at sholm@tntech.edu.
