Long Lines Limit Lunch
August 26, 2016
On August 17, the wait ended: the first day of school for all students arrived. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors alike shuffled into the newly renovated Commons, undoubtedly excited to get their first taste of the new lunch program, and enjoy some time with friends. However, their eager nature was quickly dimmed by the long lines and lengthy wait times just to receive an entree. Although the new lunch program may have gotten off to a rocky start, things are improving.
The new Commons space and kitchen area came as part of a two month, $3 million renovation that focused on providing new equipment for the kitchen, in order to prepare food on-site. The food service provider Flik Hospitality Group became the choice to run the new lunch program after Fr. Tom Neitzke, SJ, saw their work in other Jesuit high schools.
“We looked at what other Jesuit high schools were doing, we went down to Rockhurst and looked at their dining service, and saw Flik operating there, and then also at Marquette High in Milwaukee. They were very happy with the product, and Flik was the best option for us,” said Neitzke.
However, when theory turned into reality, long lunch lines quickly emerged as a source of agitation for students and administration alike. After three days of the lunch program, The Jay Journal sent out a voluntary online poll to the student body regarding their experiences with the lunch program. Of the 489 responses, with a sample size of 100, 58 percent reported their wait times to be 15-20 minutes, and 63 percent reported that they felt they had not received enough food. Additionally, 90 percent of respondents said that they did not have enough time to eat their lunch.
Although the first few days may have been rough in regards to wait times, Neitzke emphasized the need for patience.
Neitzke said, “When we met with the folks from Rockhurst, they told us to expect for the first two weeks to be tough for everybody. The first two weeks are expected to be a bumpy ride, but those kinks get worked out.”
On Monday, corporate Flik managers were brought in to assess the situation and to provide recommendations for possible improvements to the lunch setup. Some changes have already been implemented in order to maximize the speed of the lunch lines. A refrigerator stocked with milk cartons has been added, to help alleviate the long lines to use the milk dispensers. Similarly, a pre-made sandwich station has been added so students can grab a sandwich to eat, and come back for more food when the lines are shorter, if they desire to.
Joe Ryberg, dean of students, said, “By the end of lunch, in the last 15 minutes, if you want something, if you’re still hungry, you can come up and get it.”
Students have noticed these changes, and responded favorably. The Jay Journal sent out a follow-up poll on Thursday after some changes had been implemented. With a sample size of 100, 61 percent of students reported their average wait time to be 5-10 minutes, compared to 58 percent reporting 15-20 minutes in the previous poll. 51 percent of students reported they were satisfied with the new program, compared to only 14 percent before the changes. Students felt less rushed than before, with a jump from [10%] saying they had enough time to eat to [62%]. Moreover, [79%] of respondents said that they had noticed significant improvements in the overall lunch program.
With students reporting such large improvements, their view of the lunch program is looking up, and more improvements could be on the way.
Ryberg said, “We are looking to add some additional stations that would allow us to distribute the food even more quickly than we are [now]. Flik is a big part of that too, quite honestly, they are the experts in efficiency and getting things out.”
The food may be different, the lunch lines perhaps slightly longer than before, and the layout of the Commons completely new, but the desire for improvement, for excellence is still a priority. As they days continue to move by, the lunch program looks to keep improving in the eyes of students, and make it the success it was thought to be.
