Nicole Lejeune reaches for a sub from the RFoC Express
The student center cafeteria made some changes over the summer break; returning students were surprised to see that the cafeteria had knocked out a wall, rearranged some of the food stations, and added an express feature.
The Wall
Over the summer the dinning services decided to get rid of the glass wall on the south side of the student center that separated a carpeted room from the rest of the cafeteria.
“The setup in that room was not conducive to students using it.” said Marvin Grand, Senior Service Director, so they remodeled.
In previous years there were long tables in the south side room with not much room to sit or allow people to pass through. This year they moved those long tables to different parts of the cafeteria and put the ”4-top” or square tables in the room instead. The smaller tables and more accessible room have allowed for students to be more comfortable when choosing to sit there.
“We actually are seeing that room being utilized more and more everyday,” said Grand.
The Food
Over the summer the food moved as well. The substation traded places with the make-your-own pasta station. The substation is now next to the pizza while the make your own pasta is located in the middle island next to the salad bar. New to the substation is the ability to toast your sub. Pre-made pasta has disappeared from the student center cafeteria and pre-made subs have taken its place.
The buffalo sauce, the spicy mustard, and other sauces had disappeared from the student center cafeteria, but reappeared a couple weeks into the school year. Other than those changes the student center cateferia food remains the same. There is still an extensive salad bar, the same cereal options, pizza, grilled cheese, veggie burgers, desserts, and the usual rotation of food.
The Real Food on Campus (RFoC) Express
Perhaps the most exciting new feature is the RFoC Express option that debuted this fall. Students can grab an entree, two sides, and a drink without having to wait in cafeteria lines. The entrees are usually six inch subs, wraps, or salads, while the sides consist of side salads or fruits/vegetables, and the drink is your choice of the standard cafeteria fountain drinks.
The only catch is that you can’t have a white to-go box and an RFoC Express option, but this has not become an issue for most people. Nicole Lejeune, senior Pre-Vet Student, said that she was really excited about it, and admitted shortly thereafter that she was probably more excited than she should be. She’s not the only one happy about the express option. According to Grand, students’ feedback is positive. Nevertheless the RFoC Express gives students more opportunity to eatwhile staying on the move.
RFoC Express was inspired by the students’ feedback of the cafeteria. Two times a year dinning services does a dining style survey. They found that a concern for students was the long lines at the Student Center Cafeteria. So they created the RFoC express.
“You no longer have to wait in line with a to-go box to get food,” said Grand.
In the past students on the go had to rely on the restaurants in the student center, like Chick-fil-a, Panda Express, and the C store, for fast food. While these options maybe quick and appealing to most students, they lack in nutrition and deplete a student’s bank account or dining dollars quickly. The RFoC Express gives students their food with the same speed fast food restaurants give them, but with healthier, albeit less, options.
Unlimited Drinks
In addition to the changes made to the student center cafeteria Dining Services has introduced an unlimited drinks program. Students can buy unlimited fountain drinks for a hefty price. $130 is what it cost a student to have any fountain drink they want from any of the SFA dining retail locations anytime those places are open.
This means that students can walk up to any retail store, like Chick-fil-A or Zoca, show them their unlimited drink pass, and they will give the student a cup to fill up with any fountain drink available. However, students cannot go into the cafeteria to redeem their unlimited drinks offer, nor can they redeem it on bottled beverages from the C-Store.
The idea was that students would be able to treat the student center like a cruise or disneyland. At these places you just buy a cup and you can have as much to drink as you want. The advantage for SFA students is they don’t even have to carry a cup.
“It’s not a bad idea, but it’s a little expensive,” said Jesus Tobias, senior and biology major.
Most students agree. According to Grand, only about ten people have signed up for it the last time he looked. That number includes students, faculty, and staff. So while Senior Jesus Tobias and most of the school are unimpressed, a few people are.
“It’s good for right now when it is hot, but when it cools down people are going to want something hot. I wouldn’t use it anymore.” Carmen Stanley, junior and Radio/TV major.
She is right; there are no hot drinks included in this program. However, since we live in Texas, cold weather won’t come until January.
Did You Know
Another service the cafeteria offers is the ability to look up what each cafeteria is serving. This option has been available for around five years, but is not well known. Here is how you get there.
go to this link http://www.campusdish.com/en-us/CSSW/StephenFAustin
or go to
- sfasu.edu
- search “dining services”
- Click on the first link
- On the left side click “Dining Services-Aramark”
On the left side of the screen you will see Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Clicking on these will allow students to answer the old and profound questions of, “What’s for dinner?”
Since the dining style surveys started, they have only gotten better according to Grand.
“We are a solutions provider. We manage services… but we also try to come up with solutions,” said Grand.
Surveys matter. The dining services department is always trying to improve student experience, so if you get a survey be honest with your critique and you might just get what you want.
fluegeldd@titan.sfasu.edu
