To help keep Cafe staff in tune with students’ palates, Biola’s Associated Students (AS) launched a cafeteria committee earlier this month.
AS senators Nate Mitchell and Dave Martina meet weekly with the Bon Appetit management team to discuss students’ suggestions for not only the cafeteria, but also for the Talon, Common Grounds and Eagle’s Nest.
The senators said students have suggested serving more recognizable dishes in the café and lowering the prices of coffee served at Common Grounds.
The committee creates a bridge between the students and the Bon Appetit management. The bulletin board by the tray collector in the cafeteria may be a place for student feedback, but it can’t replace oral communication up-front with the Bon Appetit management.
Students are able to log on to BUBBS and go to the Campus Issues folder to inform the senators of their proposals, complaints and thoughts.
“If students have complaints of things, I’d like to have them be addressed,” said Senator Martina.
In spite of occasional student complaints, the Biola cafeteria has a reputation for quality. In May 2007, the cafe won the “Great Expectations” award from the larger Bon Appetit company for having clean stations, outstanding presentation of food, décor, and especially meeting the principles of the Bon Appetit which include serving local produce and food made from scratch.
Steve Rall, the general manager of Bon Appetit on campus, said Biola was one of the first campuses in the Claremont region to be awarded the “Great Expectations” award.
At the same time, he said there is always room for improvement.
“We follow the Bon Appetit standards, but we can accustom for our clients,” said Rall. His staff’s goal is to “market ourselves better and our food better.”
Currently, the cafeteria committee is the only active committee in AS. According to AS Senior Vice President Tiffany Jones, the committees are formed on an as-needed basis; once a problem is resolved, the groups disband. She said the cafe committee was initiated at Rall’s request.
