Using student and managerial feedback, the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee suggested improvements for several campus eateries.
At the meeting Monday night, club members extensively discussed student concerns at the Marketplace, which they said largely revolved around the low quality and limited range of food options. Freshmen Chris Taylor and Jocelyn Wells conducted student surveys and also met with Head Chef Mike Moroni to address dining issues at the venue.
Based on the survey’s results, many students feel the Marketplace’s food options are “too bland or too salty” but think that the menu changes frequently enough, Taylor said. The survey also indicated that freshmen look forward most to pizza, pasta, salad and ice cream at the East Campus venue.
“People just don’t realize that [customers] actually want junk food,” said DUSDAC co-Chair Alex Klein, a senior. “That’s all the most unhealthy, standard cafeteria-style stuff they serve. People aren’t looking forward to the beef stroganoff, spicy Thai or Indian food... where the gourmet stuff is.”
Taylor said several students expressed their desire to bring West Campus vendors like Sitar to the Marketplace. Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst did not rule out the possibility, but added that time and budget constraints make it difficult to bring outside vendors to East Campus.
“The truth is, how many people... could go back and have a second [helping], if they eat at Sitar?” Wulforst asked, pointing to potential financial issues.
DUSDAC members also discussed issues that arose after members met with managers from various Central and West Campus eateries.
Co-Chair Andrew Schreiber, a senior, met with Lih-Mei “Grace” Chao, the manager of Grace’s Cafe in Trent Hall. Chao’s primary concerns included her Central Campus location and close proximity to classrooms, which prevent her from playing music or having televisions in the eatery. The restaurant also cannot post advertisements in its sitting area because bulletin space is reserved for academic flyers, Schreiber said.
“Grace said, ‘All my customers tell me they go to Panda [Express] every day and Grace’s once a week because Panda is [on West Campus] and Grace’s isn’t,’” Schreiber said.
Based on student feedback, Schreiber suggested that the cafe consider a liquor license to allow the vendor to serve popular beverages like sake, beer and dollar shots.
Klein, former online editor for The Chronicle, gave a presentation about the Law School Refectory, which he said is still struggling to attract more customers. Klein suggested that the restaurant change its marketing strategies from the “homemade, ghetto-ized” e-mail model to a professional look to expand its customer base. The Law School Refectory recently had to discontinue its brunch service on Saturdays due to low turnout.
“People know the Divinity School location and don’t know the sister or cousin location at the Law School which I think is better... and has better customer service,” Klein said. “Attracting [customers] is much, much harder than retaining them.”
Sophomore Beth Gordon also reported on The Loop, noting the popularity of the “novelty” ciabattas and desserts. Gordon commended The Loop for implementing previous DUSDAC suggestions, including standardizing portion sizes by using weights. Still, Gordon said many students have complained about inconsistent food preparation times at The Loop, but she added that these times vary based on the item students order.
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