Vincent McPhail, of Bon Appétit, which operates Homewood Campus Dining venue
"On a typical day, Fresh Food Café serves over 3,500 students. At our beverage station alone, that equates to 450 gallons per day that go through our system—same as drinking 7,200 glasses of water.
"It's the goal of our chefs to offer something for everyone that is both delicious and provides healthy fuel for the body—and is from farm to fork. We are conscious that many students eat with us every day, so we aim to offer a variety of seasonally driven dishes—like roasted pumpkin soup with cider cream—supplied by our local vendors, as well as favorite comfort foods they can count on, both American, like the Philly cheesesteak bar, and international, like noodle bowls.
"We've recently been recognized as a fine college campus dining location. Do we take pride in that, and are we looking to steadily improve and up our game? You bet we take pride in that. Especially since that recognition is driven by the opinions of the students themselves. We intend to keep improving and listening to the students, and we definitely hope to rise even higher in the various rankings.
"Students tend to let us know when something doesn't meet their expectations, whether speaking to a manager directly or through our Café Bon Appétit website. But we would welcome more comments about what people like, not just what they don't like.
"Some people still have the mistaken impression that eating for good health's sake means giving up flavor and satisfaction. When you eat with us, it doesn't. We believe you can have a really tasty, satisfying meal that just happens to be made from vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, spices, and fresh herbs. I think students realize that what you eat affects not just your weight but how you feel and the amount of energy you have for studying and being active—however you define that."
Posted in Student Life, Voices+Opinion
Tagged dining
