Sodexo, the company that handles dining services at Winthrop University, has taken steps to include students in one of the most important parts of their lives: on-campus dining.
Dining services held a free culinary council meeting last Thursday, Oct. 24 that was open to anyone. Students were given the opportunity to enjoy a free meal catered by both Mein Bowl and Tres Habaneros while sharing their opinions on the quality of the food options at Winthrop. Students were able to leave anonymous comments on matters such as the seasoning on certain items and how to use the Grubhub app. Suggestions were also noted for dining events such as soul food day, seafood day and even Mardi Gras day. Bryan Harris, general manager for Sodexo at Winthrop, talked about everything new about dining this semester.
“We meet on a weekly basis to talk about dining services,” Harriss said. “We make sure that we’re listening to you, getting your feedback, and we’re reacting to things. We also love to hear good things, so when you have a positive experience, whether it’s a small thing or a big thing, please let us know. The big message I want to send to students today is we want to hear from you.”
One student, Austin Spencer, has created a special new drink called Peppermint Mocha Foam Cold Brew. The drink was described as “chocolatey and cold with chocolate fudge foam and chocolate sprinkles on top with a peppermint kick at the end.” It can only be found at Winthrop’s Starbucks. It will only be available for a limited time only so students are encouraged to try it out. In other news, there will be a drink sampling event on Tuesday, Nov. 5 during Common Time. During this time, students will be able to sample new high-end drinks that may be introduced and available for purchase soon.
Another topic that was discussed was the introduction of the new turbo oven in Thomson Hall. Previously, there was a toaster that students could use to toast their bread for sandwiches or toast bagels. However, this process took about four to four-and-a-half minutes. The new turbo oven can toast bread, bagels and muffins in about one to one–and–a–half minutes.
Concerns about vegan options in Thomson also arose. Vegan students were concerned about the limited vegan options in the dessert bar. Executive chef Bill Hoffman was also present, taking notes and addressing concerns.
“We are doing our best to add on more vegan options to the menu,” Hoffman said. “We will be trying out vegan desserts throughout the week and the weekend.”
Finally, upcoming events that will be held in Thomson Dining Hall were discussed. Excitement beamed across the room as news of a chocolate day, Halloween party, homecoming meal, potato day, Vancouver day, pasta day, and a breast cancer awareness meal are soon to be delivered to Thomson as well. The Grubhub app was also discussed at the meeting. Marketing intern Joseph Robinson talked about how students could learn to use it.
“Just to clarify, the Grubhub app is not a delivery system,” Robinson said. “Basically, it’s a faster way to receive your food. For example, if you’re coming out of a class in Thurmond, you can put in your order, and by the time you make that fifteen minute walk to Markley’s, your food will be ready and you can skip the line. They actually start making your order before anyone waiting in line. We have a clip of how to use the app uploaded on IGTV.”
Another highlight that was discussed was a meal swipe donation goal.
“One of our goals is to implement a meal swipe/cafe cash donation system,” said marketing specialist Aba Hutchison. “Basically, you’ll be able to donate Eagle Meals and/or donate Café Cash for people who are food insecure on campus. There will be a special card that these will be loaded on to students who really need it. If we are able to set this up, we will post more about it on our social media.”
Students with any more questions, comments and/or concerns are encouraged to reach out to dining services by texting WinthropDining to 82257 or follow them @winthropdining1 on Instagram.
Photos: Mason Foster/ The Johnsonian
