Show i Bruin u. u rUin Bites I es From rom Cafeteria a e erla to 0 Food 00 Court OU J I Kathryn Jones Faculty Staff Bruin Bites has made some significant changes since its up start-up two twenty-two years ago Bob Price Director of Food Services has seen most of them Price is now in his fifteenth year of directing not only the Redwood Campus but the South and Jord Jordan n Campus' Campus as well He sincerely says I never want to retire I cant can't imagine it Bruin Bites began as a cafeteria and serves as many manyas as three thousand a day Now with the opening of six different different different differ differ- ent vendors including Chef Toms Tom's Hogi Yogi the Golden Sea Express The Dog House Teriyaki and Chile Verde you would think the options even more wide than those housed cafeteria style But such is not the case According to Price when cafeteria style dining changed to the now familiar court style this past January 2004 the total menus became approximately approximately approximately forty items shorter The perception of dining however improved Because each vendor could now specialize specialize specialize in what they served customers perceived this change as having more vari vari- ety And more variety equaled better food Better food did not equal cheaper prices however The first thing people noticed when we opened the food courts were that the prices were higher The average customer purchase in the cafeteria before we changed to the food court was Now The vendors have to charge what they charge in their restaurants What did that mean for the Campus Diner for example See Food continued on page 3 Bob Price Director of Food Services witnessed the many changes of Bruin Bites in his fifteen year career at V 4 41 r- r t f t 1 fr AJ c I J L r 1 i K JEL I Jt C O Q I o. o z A 1 T V IF 3 r r s O 0 ym 11 k 7 Food cont from front We had to raise our prices to match the others Everyone is a business including us We have less than one- one third of the sales we used to because weve we've given all those sales to everybody everybody every every- body else Price admits that the change has been een good however Food service service service ser ser- ser ser- vice changes constantly It doesn't matter matter matter mat mat- ter if its it's in a restaurant or orin orin orin in a college If you fail to change you fail He suggests we may even see the day when the students choose to go goback goback goback back to the cafeteria style of eating Boise State University has already made the change catering to the students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents and faculty in the old world style Does that mean may make the change in the future After three or four years we may want something different than we have now Maybe the food tood court will still be in in place but the room where we eat will seem outdated and ready for a face face- lift Fifteen years ago the room was very open said Price The ceiling was totally different There were a lot lotof lotof lotof of booths and tables and there were big flags for banners hanging down everywhere It was a very colorful room After about two years the stu stu- stu dent body officers came in and said That is the ugliest room Ive I've ever seen in my entire life Price speaks of the maroon chairs that hat came next followed by new tables and chairs that were very expensive And now we have what we have and I guarantee that in two or three years somebody will come in and want to change it And they'll be right Tastes change And yet one important thing remains constant espe especially to Pric Price He is most concerned not about the business but the people he employs The people he serves We had someone leave last week He had to move to California That was tragic When somebody works for you for five years you really can cant can't t replace that person This is a people business said Price And that's what I enjoy |