With a first-class executive chef, a brand new preparation
facility and a team of creative individuals, Dining Services
is revamping to make campus cuisine a treat.
"Each year, we try to be different than the last," said
Larry Gates, director of Dining Services. "It's part of
our job to be creative and excite residents about food."
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TASTY SAMPLES: Eastern Michigan University
students line up to sample a variety of foods at
the
EMU Dining Annual Food Show that took
place at
Eastern Eateries March 14. Over time,
Dining
Services has increased the variety of foods
and the
number of dining locations on campus for students,
faculty and staff. |
Gates and his staff are always on the lookout for fresh
ideas. They meet with dining staff at other universities,
subscribe to food magazines and listen to suggestions from
students. Gates regularly attends national food shows to
scout for new food items.
"Vendors always have interesting products. For example,
one had wrapped peanut butter and jelly on a graham cracker," said
Gates. "We're food people, so we pay attention to what's
new and what the current trends are."
One man who knows his trends is Executive Chef Tom Murray.
Murray, who worked for the Hyatt Regency hotel chain for
more than 20 years, joined the dining services staff in
March 2006. He attended the prestigious Johnson & Wales
University in Rhode Island, the same culinary school Emeril
Lagasse attended.
Part of Murray's job was to oversee the design and construction
of the Student Center's food preparation and dining facilities,
which include a 650-person banquet hall and a kitchen.
"McKenny Union didn't have a kitchen so, in the past,
we cooked at Hoyt and transported the food by truck," said
Gates. "We had to cook the food early and worry about how
to keep it warm."
In addition to preparing for the Student Center opening,
Murray has been busy updating the catering menus and the
menus of more than half of the campus's food venues.
One of Murray's ideas was the sweet shop, "Sweet Success," located
in the Student Center. The shop serves desserts such as
cookies, cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries. Sweet
Success's success was evident in the long lines at its
grand opening Nov 6 and the large number of orders they
received for Valentines Day.
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SOMETHING SWEET: Executive Chef Tom Murray
serves up treats at Sweet Success, a dessert shop
that opened in the Student Center in October.
Murray also has updated the catering menu and
the menus of more than half the campus's
dining options. |
For students who don't have a sweet tooth, Dining Services
has added healthy alternatives.
"Students can cook their own veggie burgers or eat from
the new fruit bar," said Gates. "We don't use trans fats
in our fryers and our supplier, Gordon Food Service, doesn't
use trans fats in their products."
In addition to providing appetizing entrées, Dining
Services wants students to have fun with their food. They
plan special events for students such as a monthly pancake
breakfast, karaoke in DC1, popcorn and peanuts for the
Tiger opening, and theme meals for holidays such as Mardi
Gras, Christmas and Halloween.
"A student in the residence hall is on campus from September
to April. Even if they eat at a different location every
day, they still want a change now and then," said Gates.
EMU has always been on the cutting edge of food service.
It was one of the first schools in the area to have a convenience
store and the first to offer room service for students
in the residence halls.
"Room service was designed for our upperclassmen because
their schedule is usually different from the underclassmen," said
Gates. "They may work off campus or have later classes.
We wanted to accommodate their busy lives."
One area that is a constant concern for universities across
the country is the structure of meal plans. More than 3,000
residents and 500 nonresidents currently use meal plans
at EMU. Dining Services recently updated their plans to
better accommodate students.
The new plans allow the students a certain number of meals
each day — which they can eat any time of the day. In addition,
they have a cash amount to spend anytime.
"Under the old plans, meals were available for a certain
time period. For example, lunch was 10:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.," said
Gates. "With the new plans, students can sleep in late
and still get a full day's worth of meals."
For students who don't live on campus, the Eagle Express
plan is an option. Students (or their parents) can put
money on a card, which can be used at the shops around
campus. A similar plan is in the works for faculty and
staff.
Meal plans are good at any of the food shops on campus
(including those in the new Student Center), with the
exception of Wendy's, Panda Express and Subway. These include
Sbarro, Taco Bell, A&W, Einstein Brothers Bagels and
numerous other locations across campus.
When Gates arrived at EMU 26 years ago, there were only
two places to eat on campus.
A decade ago, Dining Services was asked to put a small
snack area into Quirk for the theatre students. The shop
worked out so well that requests started coming in from
other buildings on campus, such as Sill Hall, Alexander
and Pray-Harrold. Today, there are 30 food venues on campus.
"The trend in university food service is taking food to
the people," said Gates. "You already see restaurants popping
up in neighborhoods so that people don't have to drive
very far. We want campus to be the same way."
He added, "My goal has always been to serve the best quality
products with the best taste, buy from the leading vendor
in the area and be affordable."
