April Allen | Arts & Life Co-Editor

Sodexo has made quite a few changes this year, both for the students and with the way things are run within the staff. Many challenges are faced, but the General Manager of Sodexo Campus Services Ken Allen, claims that Sodexo tries to improve every year no matter whether there are big or small obstacles in the way. Sodexo is staying in an innovative mindset by going green and fulfilling student needs.

The biggest improvement at Sodexo that many students do not recognize right away is the amount of attention the company pays to the students. This doesn’t mean Sodexo can cater to every one of the students’ needs, but rather that the Sodexo staff wants to know what the students think and will try to make those things possible within their means. It isn’t realistic to be able to consider every single student when serving roughly 1800 to 2000 meals a day, but the employees do their best to make sure that every student is satisfied with their experience.

“We [Sodexo] are only as good as our last meal served,” Allen said. Keeping this statement in mind, Sodexo holds events like advisory meals, Senate Food Crew Committee, and daily huddle conversations to help them improve. Allen runs the Senate Food Crew Committee and goes to Student Senate meetings once a month to present to them what is new in the Sodexo kitchen. Senate can then tell him the students’ anxieties or concerns about servery conditions and food choices. The huddle conversations that take place before every meal involve pep talks and tips about upcoming meals and what needs to be done by the employees.

Sodexo hired 15 new employees for this school year. As part of the new hiring process, new employees are required to take an evaluation to see if they are fit for food service. With those changes come more competent workers and positive changes in the food itself.

There are about half a dozen students who currently require a gluten free diet on campus. This issue has been solved by putting a gluten free option at the end of the international bar near where the rice is located. Various edible items can be found there which include gluten free breads, desserts, and other alternatives to carbohydrates. The new Silk machine offers both vanilla and chocolate flavors of soy milk. This helps supply vegans with a vitamin-rich alternative to dairy milk as well.

Allen stressed that the new gluten free and vegan options are just for the people whose diets require this, but these options are tried by many students daily. This is part of Sodexo’s vision for the future, which allows students to broaden their options and possibly try new things. Allen says that nearly ten percent of people will try vegetarian options at some point.

Another thing Allen finds important is the Beaver Buck system. There aren’t always healthy options at the mid-day grill, but at the Common Grounds Coffee Shop, there are some healthier alternatives. The business for the coffee shop has been growing, and this is important for Sodexo. Recently, there have been mini advertisements in the napkin dispensers on each table informing students of how to buy Beaver Bucks by visiting the Business Office. When twenty dollars are bought, the student will get twenty five dollars in Beaver Bucks; the more money put on a student’s account, the more free Beaver Bucks they receive. This local deal has increased in popularity since being put on the napkin dispensers because more students are becoming informed about the opportunity to save money and get more at the same time.

Better service is the motto at Sodexo today,. just like it has been for quite some time. While there have been changes made this summer that are quite visible to the Sodexo dining facility, some of the most influential variations can be felt in the way the staff do their jobs, or maybe most importantly, in how the food tastes.

Photos by David Ekstrom