Sodexo General Manager Louis Duran is implementing new ways for students to leave feedback and have their grievances addressed following complaints that food at the Reef lacks variety and taste, and even causes illness.
In order to obtain feedback more effectively, Duran has organized the Food Service Committee made up of students. Members of the committee serve as ambassadors for the Reef, talking to their peers about the quality of its food and service and relaying the information back to management, Duran said.
Despite the number of complaints circulating behind his back and on the student body’s unofficial Facebook group, Duran said he almost always receives positive responses when walking around the Reef asking students for their opinions. He said has received only three or four direct complaints, one of them from a lactose-intolerant student who suffered from stomach issues after eating an item containing cream.
The Reef displays key ingredients and nutrition facts on menus next to each food item. Ingredients that students are commonly allergic to, such as milk, egg, soy, wheat and gluten, are always listed, Duran said.
The Reef even makes customized, gluten-free meals for six students with celiac disease. When these students come in to eat, they receive food cooked completely separate from the rest to ensure it is not contaminated, Duran said. There is no official program for students requiring gluten-free meals at the moment but Duran said he is entertaining the idea.
To help students with other dietary needs, the Reef uses a system of symbols to indicate various food types —“V” for vegan, “VG” for vegetarian and an apple for well-balanced. These symbols can be found on the menus.
Senior Kayla Bradford, a vegan, finds it difficult to eat a balanced meal at the Reef despite the salad bar and array of vegetables offered. Although there are many vegetarian options, she cannot eat many of them because they are prepared with butter or cheese, she said. And even the vegan options do not seem to settle well with her, giving her stomach cramps after every meal.
In contrast with Bradford’s grievances, Carly Shadduck, a senior, said the Reef needs more meat, stating that since beginning the meal plan, she has never consumed so much tofu. Shadduck, who usually eats two meals at the Reef per day, said she experiences stomach aches and bloating at least once a day. Fried foods like chicken tenders seem to settle the worst, she said.
Because many students do not eat all of their meals at the Reef, Duran said, they could be contracting the dietary issues elsewhere, adding that due to the approaching Rotavirus season, some students may be experiencing stomach viruses.
The Reef follows all federal, state and local guidelines when it comes to storage, food temperature control, sanitation and the personal hygiene and health of employees, Duran said. It is currently preparing for an inspection by the National Sanitation Foundation.
The University Student Center began operations only days before students moved in, leaving little time for Reef employees to prepare. Some of the original employees were intimated by the high volume of students coming in every day and many of them quit, Duran said, explaining that training new workers has been a difficult and time consuming process.
“We’re only as good as our employees,” Duran said, who is working towards certifying all of the Reef’s employees through ServSafe—a food and beverage safety training program administered by the National Restaurant Association.
The Reef encourages students to take a customer loyalty survey online at vcil.cc/q7a325. Comments can also be submitted directly to the Reef’s website, usfspdining.com/people/service.html.
