When dining facilities are built, storage space is often the last thing considered or the first to go if more square footage is needed elsewhere, says Houston Freeman, manager of Piedmont Central Dining Hall at Georgia State University in Atlanta. As such, FSDs may find themselves channeling some creativity where back-of-house storage is concerned.
“When I first opened [Turner Place], I thought I had a lot of storage, but it was quickly filled.”
—John Barrett, assistant director of Virginia Tech’s Turner Place Dining facility. Barrett says he turned to track shelving, which fits about two more units in each area than the stationary kind.
—Brian Grove, associate director of dining services for Virginia Tech. He employs endcap signs, which list each product on the shelf, to promote further organization and efficiency.
“Use other areas on campus as a holding ground for items not needed within immediate reach.”
—Freeman, who named paper products as one of the biggest back-of-house space stealers at Piedmont Central. He also advises training employees closely on what managers expect in terms of organization and how excess product should be handled.
University of Florida’s solution for feeding students in the midst of construction of a new dining hall has turned out so well, it will almost be a shame to see it go.
The endlessly colorful cuisine of Mexico is always in season, but Cinco de Mayo is a great time to bring some new recipes to the party, starting with El Rio Picante, an alternative marg, and finishing with DIY churro sundaes.