Students should expect to see changes at Tommy’s Rubs and Grubs when they return from Thanksgiving Break.
At its meeting Monday night, the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee discussed changes to the venue with Tom Meyer, owner of the McClendon Tower barbecue joint. Meyer said when students return to campus at the end of the month, they will find a new self-serve salad station in the eatery to provide a quicker, healthier option.
“There will be meat choices and tons of veggie choices—all of that will be available so people won’t have to wait in line if they don’t want to, they can just grab a salad and go,” Meyer said, adding that fresh fruit will also be offered.
Meyer said the salad bar will charge by weight, and he has already purchased the equipment.
Members of the committee raised concerns with the customer service at Tommy’s, despite agreeing that the quality of the food itself is top-notch.
“I’ve been there five or six times, and I really do love it,” said DUSDAC Co-chair Jason Taylor, a senior. “It just seems like every time I go there something is screwed up.”
Several members also mentioned that Tommy’s frequently runs out of staples like meat and ketchup.
“This is going to sound bizarre but I want to run out of things, because I don’t buy a lot of frozen things,” said Meyer, who emphasized his use of fresh, local ingredients. “But if it happens all the time, or it’s nine things, that’s a problem.”
Meyer said he will meet with the staff regarding customer service in order to address committee concerns that Tommy’s workers are too slow to take students’ orders.
Taylor suggested that a paper order form like the Armadillo Grill’s might speed up the process and reduce errors in orders, improving customer satisfaction.
“Even if a place has the best food, I’m not going to go to the place if I know I’m not going to have a good customer experience, and I think that’s pretty extensible across campus,” said DUSDAC Co-chair Alex Klein, a junior and online editor of The Chronicle.
Meyer said this was the first time he had heard several of the complaints raised.
“I have sort of an obsession with customer service, and I’m not getting that [negative] feedback,” he said. “But you’re giving it to me now, which is great, and I’ll take care of it.”
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