Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

Sean Stasko Food Service Director University Towers 111 Friendly Dr Raleigh, NC 27607 Office: 919-327-3812 Fax: 919-327-3812 mgrdiningutraleigh@edrtrust.com Introduction

University Towers, a private and independently owned off-campus dorm, offers a wide

variety of food choices located right across the street from North Carolina State University. I

chose this foodservice operation because I resided at UT from 2006-2008. I had an enjoyable

experience there and loved the convenient location of the dining hall, on the 9th floor of the

dorm. While dining there, I knew there was room for improvement, but I was amazed at the

myriad of choices offered. The dining system is based on meal plans and with the swipe of an ID

card; residents are swiftly in line at the buffet. Some of the options include cereal dispensers, full

salad bar, grill line, deli line, quesadilla bar and specialty bar (which changes daily). Also, waffle

makers, bagel toasters, ice cream and espresso machines and even a pizza carousel (UT website,

see below). I met with Food Service Director Sean Stasko and executive head chef, Thomas. Mr.

Stasko has 11 years of experience as FSD at Mariott Education Services at UNC and 12 years at

University Towers Dining. Thomas has 2 years experience at UT and has previously worked in 7

different restaurants.

Summary of Operations

UT dining operates as a conventional food service operation. Meals are made fresh for

each meal period and leftover ingredients are kept separate and blast chilled in the walk in

freezer to be used again generally within 3-4 days. All waste is disposed into a massive dumpster

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

located near the property. Wake County does not allow the use of garbage disposals. In the past,

waste had been given to a pig farmer who is now out of business. The onsite dining system is not

retail and operates on an all-you-can-eat basis. Meal plan options include 7, 10, 14 or unlimited

meals per week. Meals do not rollover from week to week. Parents and employees eat for free.

Non-residents and faculty pay individual meal prices (Breakfast: $6.50, Lunch $8.00, Dinner

$8.50) or may choose Diner Plus Cards (20 meals for $150). Mr. Stasko is in charge of 48 staff

members including dishwasher/pot washer, line servers (mostly student residents, grills cooks,

baker, salad bar/food prep, receiver, porter and checker (hostess).

The general type of equipment used includes double stack steamers, 2 steel jacketed

kettles, 2 double well fryers, 6 burners, walk in fridge and freezer to blast chill, 5 conventional

ovens, 1 conventional oven, steamer and a buffalo chopper (oversized food processor). The menu

is a 4 week cycle that occasionally, Thomas admits, a new creation may appear that varies from

the set menu. Every month there is a Birthday Dinner, celebrating all residents with birthdays in

that particular month. Theme dinners are also a monthly occasion and include themes such as

Backyard BBQ, Seafood Dinner, NC State Fair, Thanksgiving Dinner, etc.

The majority of clientele of this foodservice operation are student residents. The dorm

has 952 beds and the dining hall occupancy is 430 persons. Per meal period around 500-600

meals are served, which equates to around 1500-1800 meals daily. On average, 100 parents per

month enjoy a complimentary meal with their children, especially on weekends and football

game days.

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

Q & A

1. Are you or someone working in your operation ServSafe Certified?

Yes, Mr. Stasko and 4 other staff members are ServSafe Certified. He shared with me

that after final exams, they plan to have a ServSafe instructor come to teach those that are

not certified. He seemed very proud of Thomas’ knowledge about ServSafe as I shared

with him my experiences with HMD 220 and completing the certification.

2. What is your food grade from most current health inspection?

97.0

3. What are your responsibilities as Foodservice Director?

Mr. Stasko does all the hiring/firing, human resources, public relations, supervises

production manager and executive head chef, staff scheduling and budgeting

4. Do you use standardized recipes? Are they truly standardized or adjusted?

Most recipes used are standardized and occasionally Thomas will make a meal that is not

standardized. He uses experimentation and combination of experience of other cooks. He

states that recipes come from avenues such as restaurants he has worked for, various

cookbooks and the internet. Approximately 10 new dishes per year are experimented with

and not always standardized.

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

5. Does your staff weigh or measure ingredients?

The baker uses weights for recipes and when I asked him if that was mostly ounces or

pounds, Thomas chimes in that grams are more accurate. Most of the staff uses measure

ingredients, especially with the recipes that have been adjusted and not standardized.

6. Do you evaluate recipes before offering them on menu?

Thomas laughs at this question and says they always have plastic spoons available and

taste test food items before serving.

7. Who writes the menu? How do you price your menu? Formulas or Software?

Thomas and John write the menu. Menu is priced on food cost and the food cost

percentage is around 36%. Currently Excel is used, however, new software is being

introduced from US Foods, name unknown.

8. Do you incorporate food trends into your menu offerings? Special considerations for food

allergies?

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

Yes, gluten free options at every meal period. Residents with special dietary needs are

encourages to talk to one of the managers, who promise to do their best to accommodate.

9. How often do you revise your menu items/prices?

Once or twice per semester. Changes are made based on comment cards, resident

feedback and food movement. If a certain dish is sitting on the line with only a few

residents consuming the item, more than likely the dish will be removed from the menu.

10. Do you have purchasing specifications?

Yes, 2 billion indemnity clause is in place. Mr. Stasko only procures food from an

approved vendor list. He is not allowed to purchase from “Farmer John’s produce

stand.”The receiver has a checklist and makes sure that all damaged goods are

documented and returned to the vendor.

11. What methods do you use to control inventory?

The receiver keeps a watchful eye on inventory levels and the par stock method is used.

John is also very experienced in knowing which items will run out faster than others.

12. How do you judge or measure profit?

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

Excel is used to determine yearly budget and profits come from unused/missed meals per

meal plans. Also, outside guests paying for meals encourage profit.

13. Do you use any forecasting methods?

Yes, during exam periods, sport’s games and other campus activities the staff predicts

low volume of resident traffic. On weekends, many residents return home or have their

parents join them over a meal. Also, the building is currently in phase 1 of remodeling.

Phase 2 includes new grills outside by the pool area. Thomas predicts during the summer

more residents will cook out instead of visiting the dining hall.

14. Strategies used for food placement in buffet line?

Highest cost items are placed at the end of the line because the individual is more likely

to take less as plate will probably be full or have less room for the expensive menu item.

Line servers encourage portion control and certain utensils are used to control serving

size.

15. Are customers allowed to take food with them?

Yes, there is a new brown bag lunch option available Monday through Friday from 7 AM

to 10:30 AM where the resident can swipe their ID card and are given a brown bag and

sandwich bag. They are encouraged to visit the deli and have a personalized sandwich

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

made and grab some chips or fresh fruit. The idea is for students to be able to bring lunch

to either Central or Centennial campus without having to return to the dorm between

classes. Also, another new program called Get Well Meals was created for sick residents.

Roommates or RAs can take the sick resident’s ID card and deliver the get well meal.

This includes Lipton soup broth packets, oatmeal, bottled water or juice, crackers, peanut

butter and containers.

Critique of Operation

In my opinion, University Towers dining has come a long way since I was a

resident at the dorm. Residents are catered to with new programs such as the Brown Bag

Lunch and Get Well Tray. Also, managers are in tune with gluten free menu offerings

and make sure that residents with special dietary needs are accommodated. The volume

of food offered on a daily basis is such that any resident or outside guest can find

something palatable. I was impressed with how many staff members are ServSafe

certified and the measures taken to follow the food safety standards. Mr. Stasko has

delegated the menu planning to highly experienced staff members and in this way, the

work is divided. The menu is actively revised based on resident feedback and new menu

items are frequently added. It seems that Thomas has a good handle on obtaining recipes

that work in this establishment and ensuring that the food offered is a high quality

product. I was surprised that standardized recipes are not, well standard operating

procedure and that volume measurement is used more often than weight measures. For

the amount of food available, convenience and customer service I think the prices of the

Colleen Doorhy

HMD 341 Foodservice Director Interview

meal plans are spot on. Purchasing specifications, inventory control and forecasting are

methods that are used according to the Gregoire textbook, especially the reorder point

and safety stock (2013).

Improvements can always be made, however, and software to assist with menu

adjustments and budgeting is now underway. I think this addition will be beneficial in the

future by helping the operation flow and possibly increase profit. Mr. Stasko emphasized

that the establishment is not a retail based operation and that the residents come first. One

last improvement I think should be considered is that there is no RD on staff to ensure the

meals are high nutritional quality or to guide residents in the right direction. This was one

of my first questions, as I have always wondered if the RD on campus (who assists the on

campus dining halls) had any input towards the UT dining system.

References

Gregoire, Mary B. Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and Systems Approach. 8th

Edition. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2013. Pg 144. Print.

University Towers http://www.utowersraleigh.com/index.php/prop/dining