Two weeks ago, Lawrence University students discovered a new layout in Andrew Commons in the Warch Campus Center.
The Caesar salad bar is one of two major additions to the serving area. The second addition, a Latino station, was a decision Bon Appétit made after receiving multiple comment cards asking for a larger variety of regular Latino fare. The decision to replace the casserole section of the comfort food station was based on the fact that this station was decidedly less popular among students and led to higher quantities of wasted food.
Senior Rebecca Roberts commented, “I was confused when I walked into the cafeteria looking for spaghetti and found a Caesar salad bar in its place.”
Many Lawrentians shared the same sentiments as Roberts, who noted also that she found this change “unnecessary, because we already have ingredients for a Caesar salad at the regular salad bar.”
Bon Appétit General Manager Julie Severance explained, “The Latino station lends itself to a lot of creativity from our chefs, who include a lot of delicious whole grains that increase the nutritional content of the dishes.”
The Caesar salad bar was also a response to many comment cards asking for more days where students could create their own Caesar salad. The station included more options like a variety of toppings and vegan and southwestern Caesar dressing.
Severance revealed that before the station was created, the regular salad bar went through “eight to 10 refills of romaine lettuce in the duration of a meal because so many people were making Caesar salads. The subsequent creation of the station was a no-brainer.”
Some students found themselves apathetic towards the changes. Sophomore Kate Rosenbalm stated, “I eat the same thing everyday, so it didn’t affect me.”
Bon Appétit’s most notable change before Andrew Commons’ makeover was in the Kaplan Café where there was, on average, a 2-3 percent price increase of its menu items, excluding soups, fries and the grilled chicken sandwich. This was Bon Appétit’s first price increase since its service at Lawrence began, and it is a result of commodity inflation in recent months that raised the prices of staples like milk, bread and butter.
On the second floor of the campus center, Kate’s Corner Store did not experience any changes, besides the introduction of an ice cream freezer, which Severance deemed “a huge hit.”
However, dissatisfaction is growing among students who are frustrated with the store’s weekend hours. For example, the corner store doesn’t open until 4 p.m. on Saturday, a time junior Laurel Foshag labeled as “ridiculous.”
Foshag did admit that “compared to most college campuses, the quality of the food at Lawrence is superior, and the fact that we even have a vegan line in Andrew Commons is very accommodating.”
Bon Appétit’s plans for Winter Term are currently limited; the only plan in the works is setting up a panini press for student use in Andrew Commons.
Aware of dissenting opinions on recent and future changes, Bon Appétit will be erecting whiteboards outside Andrew Commons and Kate’s Corner Store to allow students the opportunity to share any questions or comments.
Severance concluded, “After all, we are not here to go around making random changes — we are here to please the students.”