Compared with previous years, the lines at the dining hall certainly seem long. This is not surprising, considering school began only one month ago and that dining services implemented a number of changes over the summer. However, dining services is still accepting student recommendations, and we have a few.
First, and most importantly, the Leo J. O’Donovan dining hall could better utilize its staff. University administrators say the facility is adequately staffed, but workers often appear to be looking for something to do.
One of the Marriott employees could monitor the lines and remind students to use both sides of the serving tables. They could also immediately alert those in the kitchen when an item runs out, or even quickly pull it out of a warming oven themselves. Then, fewer students would have to wait at the front of the line for food.
The managers at Leo’s must also make sure that two employees are present up front to swipe in cards before, during and after heavy-traffic hours, like the 1 p.m lunch rush.
With the closure of the Darnall dining hall, increased crowds were expected at Leo’s. The facility has 1200 seats, and though 4500 students have meal plans, there should be ample space, according to Michael Basile, University Director for Food and Beverage. Making sure students can get in quickly should be a high priority.
Dining Services should be praised for the new features that were added to the dining hall over the summer. The improvements include a smoothie machine downstairs and the aesthetically pleasing Marketplace Express for Grab-N-Go meals, which are now available at dinner time. However, all of these complicate the logistics of feeding a large student body.
We suggest Leo’s move some of the main entrees downstairs, to shorten the lines upstairs. If some of that flow could be diverted downstairs immediately after students walk in the door, it would alleviate part of the problem.
Beyond just diverting traffic, this would invigorate the dining options downstairs by offering one more new, healthy and different choice each day.
All of the Georgetown administrators we interviewed agreed that the transition to Leo’s as the sole dining hall on campus has been as successful as expected. We do not disagree completely, but there’s always room for improvement.
