At Virginia
Tech University, the number of off-campus meal plans has grown so much that extended hours became a necessity. Ted Faulkner,
associate director of dining services, talks about why it was worth it to open one of the university's locations on the weekend.
With the increasing number of students on board plans at Virginia Tech University, it became necessary to open one of the more popular dining halls for limited service on the weekends. Ted Faulkner, associate director of dining services, explains why this change was a good one. “We recognized a need to expand services on the weekends during the course of the past few years as a result of the increase in off-campus meal plan holders. Previously, D2 was closed on Sundays. We changed it so it is now operating from noon to 8 p.m. with continuous service. D2 is our one traditional all-you-care-to-eat facility with numerous stations, food selections and options. It is also our largest dining facility, with more than 1,066 seats. It is centrally located to the residential side of campus. Opening D2 on Sundays also alleviated some of the high patron volumes in those units that were already open. It not only provided an avenue for offering better service, it also helped to slow the process of wear and tear on the other overcrowded facilities. One of the responsibilities of a foodservice operator is to ensure and exceed the guests’ dining expectations with regard to service and overall experience. We felt strongly we couldn’t provide the services needed without opening an additional location on Sundays.”