By Raeanne Raccagno
Staff Writer
The College’s Dining Services gave an overview of modifications and new plans for this academic year during the Student Government general body meeting on Sept. 11.
Evonne Ryan-Grandell, field marketing specialist, and Nelson Morales, resident district manager, led the dining presentation to start the SG meeting.
“I’ve been a little crazy since the school started with planning all kinds of exciting, cool events for you guys,” said Ryan-Grandell. The field marketing specialist also talked about the adjustments Dining Services made in multiple dining locations after reading and following student feedback from last year.
One of the biggest feedback items was implementing Italian dishes into Quimby’s Kitchen, whose menu has been updated. Quimby’s Rotisserie has also been converted into Simple Servings, a clean eating station that avoids the nine major food allergens but still offers fish as a protein source. Morales said the food vendor has been “very busy” with students who have all had positive feedback.
“A lot of the students that have allergies will go there and they feel comfortable,” said Morales.
The chefs working at the station are knowledgeable and prepared to answer students’ questions or concerns, according to Morales.
Bamboo Gardens is introducing more protein-filled salads, and smoothies are offered every other day, rotating every other week. This means one week will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the following week will be Tuesday and Thursday.
Plant-based lovers gained more options across campus with Vegan Loop, increasing plant-based proteins by 30%, and Traditions added three new vegetable appetizers to their menu.
Additional items that have boosted the Traditions menu, like the new mocktails and the Nashville sticky crispy chicken sandwich, are already making an impact on students. Mention of the sandwich received shouts and applause from the general body.
Traditions is offering beef barbacoa soft tacos for two weeks starting on Sept. 16. Ryan-Grandell said there will be different limited-time offers in Traditions throughout the year.
T-Dubs added a new sundae bar, 32 Degrees, with create-your-own or set sundae recipes. Simply To-Go items in T-Dubs have been extended with items requested by students.
In the lower level of T-Dubs on the Travers side, there will be a Just Baked vending machine that offers hot and cold food items, which will be available to students 24/7. Morales said he hopes in the next week or two that it will be installed.
Halal chicken and ground beef are now available at Eick. When a student asked about other initiatives for Halal and Kosher food options, Morales said Rabbi Kivi has been talking with the chefs about other Kosher options.
A new catering service, Square Tomato, has been launched for student organizations. Orders will be placed through the College’s catering website and are for pick-up only. Minimum orders of single items must be 12 pieces and prices range from $1-5 per piece.
A month-long promotional event, Lucky Duck, will be starting in late September where students receive a rubber duck after spending $20 or more at the C-Store. Students then have to complete the tasks provided after scanning the QR code on the duck which will include social media posts.
There will be a winner chosen for the most creative photos featuring your Lucky Duck at the end of each week who will receive a Stanley cup filled with C-Store snacks. After the four weeks are over, there will be a grand prize winner announced at Homecoming, who will win a laptop.
Nicole Piotrowski, the College’s registered dietitian, held the first of monthly tabling events on Sept. 4, offering free samples of a meal plan to students in the C-Store. Students were able to purchase a healthy meal kit from Piotrowski.
“That’s the gist behind the program, creating recipes with items you can purchase [in the C-Store] and make right in your dorm room,” said Ryan-Grandell.
Once a month, there will be Tall Hat Tuesdays which is a fine dining experience in Eickhoff Hall courtesy of 91.3 Wokery.
“This is something you would get in a restaurant and pay a pretty price for,” Morales said.
There will be culinary student engagement events throughout the year, including the pizza-making workshop that happened on Sept. 13 hosted by the College Union Board and Executive Chef Frank Rette.
The speakers also reported that Dining Services is fully staffed for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have a new diverse team now,” said Morales. “Folks from Korea, China, Latin America, Thailand, just from all over the place, so we're able to really change up a lot of the menus.”
Morales estimated that 90% of chefs have graduated from Johnson and Wales or the Culinary Institute of America.
Dining staff have also been going through training to become educated on swipes to help confused students.
Dining Services purchased new outside patio furniture for Traditions which started getting installed on Sept. 12.
The 1855 Room has adopted white crock boxes for the soup, similar to Whole Foods, which other dining locations will be enacting over time, according to Morales. The College will be stepping away from stainless steel and institutional utensils.
Kevin Willis, current director of operations, will be leaving the College on Sept. 19, and Vincent Papp will be replacing him as resident dining general manager.
The best way for students to stay informed about dining services events and updates is by paying attention to “Did You Know?” posters found in dining locations and following their Instagram @tcnjdining.
