From on-campus ramen after your walk home from a frat house, to the option to cook your own meal without having to do any dishes afterward, university dining is working on executing a lineup of new facilities to be introduced sporadically throughout this semester.
Juan Dominguez, the general manager of Sodexo at the university, is elated to share their new plans with the student body.
Dining services developed a list of three main areas of concentration in the main dining hall space. The Marketplace is seeing a palate of renovations, as evident for anyone walking into the partial construction zone to pick up a sandwich.
Dominguez is aware that “allergies are becoming a bigger concern,” a notion which led to the Simple Zone/My Zone allergy station to be reupholstered and more accommodating for students with critical restrictions.
Dominguez said that in discussion, they raised the question of “how [to] make a better option for students with allergies.” The solution, which should be ready by next Friday, will take the form of a separate room of pre-packaged, allergy-safe food options for students. In order to access the room, keycard access will have to be requested as a formal dining accommodation.
The second goal that Dominguez expressed was to “bring something trendy” for students in the dining space. He proposed “with no doubt” that a “UCook” station will satisfy this aim. The Marketplace will soon include a hub of six stations at which you can set up and prepare your own meals with ingredients provided through your meal plan.
Dominguez was preactive in ensuring dining’s consideration of health and safety concerns. He walked through the system for cooking ware used at the UCook station. When students leave with their completed meal, there will be a station for used cutlery and pans to be washed immediately in 180 degree water and sanitizing solution. Dominguez also said that some food items in this area will be pre-cooked to ensure that they are done so thoroughly.
Mentorship is an anticipated necessity for students who may be exploring the world of cooking for the first time on their own. To alleviate any potential stress, a chef will be placed at UCook for the first couple of weeks that it is in operation. Dominguez says that “it’s going to be a process,” which he and his team will evaluate through the rest of the semester.
The final aim of dining services is to expand options that may feel more welcoming to international students.
Although Dominguez says that “we are not there yet in my view,” he also said that dining is aware of the unique circumstances at the University of New Haven that come with welcoming such a large international population. He understands that since the university “markets” to recruit students from different countries, dining services should work to accommodate their needs and desires to feel more at home upon arrival. This was a driving force in the change from the Asian Fusion station to the new Global station. Dominguez thinks that this will draw attention from the entire student body, as he said that “this generation of students is more open to try new things and different foods.”
“We cannot replicate what you have at home,” he said, “that’s impossible,” but he is committed to providing satisfactory meals for students within a realistic realm as a campus dining service.
Dominguez also opened up about the experiences of working in dining and the goals they have to strengthen relations with the student body.
On a personal level, Dominguez said that he reminds himself that students have to eat on campus three times a day, seven days and “not get tired” — this is, he said, what drives him.
On a broader scale, he is passionate about students sharing their voices with dining services, both in satisfaction and in suggestions for improvement. Dominguez feels that students do not participate in dining committees enough and as a result, those who are involved are not successful in representing the student body. The feat is a group effort in Dominguez’s eyes and he is willing to be the leading force in this motion. Students interested in sharing their voices with dining can contact him directly at [email protected].
Dominguez took this mission even further, beginning to explain some of his visions for success. He wants more students to meet with dining and suggested appearances at Undergraduate Student Government Association General Assembly meetings. “Dining has a lot more to offer and a lot more to say to students than we actually do,” he said on their current level of communication.
The ultimate goal is to have a food option spaced every three minutes of walking distance on campus. Dominguez says his team currently feels successful in this mission.
Dominguez’s main goal is for students to be eating. He said his advice for dining workers is “don’t stop a student from eating because a card is not working.” He does not want anything to stand between students and their ability to eat three meals a day and ultimately, his vision is that “we need to be a yes environment.”
Keep your eyes peeled for updates in dining all across campus, and make sure to also stay up-to-date on the new faces of retail dining as well.
