Pepperdine has agreed to renew its multi-year dining services contract with Sodexo solidifying plans to bring in more eating locations and leading to comparisons with other universities that use the food service company.
Sodexo’s previous contract expired last academic year and has been renewed. Alex Pang, associate vice president for campus operations and business, is leading negotiations for the new contract. Pang said the length and specifications of each contract cannot legally be publicly disclosed.
“There’s no reason why Pepperdine can’t be the best President Andrew K. Benton said of the dining services at the Student Government Association meeting Sept. 30.
Benton said Sodexo is under new management, which he is not as familiar with as he was with former management. Pepperdine has negotiated a reduction in food prices for this academic year, he continued.
Student Affairs, Dining Services, Business Services and Construction and Campus Planning are collaborating for potential HAWC refurbishments, which may include an enhanced coffee shop and convenience store, according to Stacy Rothberg, associate dean of students, housing and community life.
With the anticipation of the HAWC renovation Student Activities SGA Programming Board Intercultural Affairs and Campus Recreation have moved to make it a student union environment. Sodexo is involved in the planning and design for the HAWC coffee shop and convenience store Rothberg wrote.
Students Activities will meet on Oct. 9 to discuss HAWC renovations.
[Renovating the HAWC] has been a subject for some time Finfrock said. He noted that the first step is securing the necessary funds.
The renovations to construct La Brea Bakery, Jamba Juice and Nature’s Edge, an organic community store to open in place of the Oasis, demonstrate the new features of Pepperdine’s agreements with Sodexo. Pang said there are some permitting issues involved in these projects; however, plans are underway.
It’s a true partnership Finfrock said. We’re hoping that [construction will begin] within the next two weeks.”
Finfrock said Sodexo has worked closely with Pepperdine officials to plan the new projects but the permitting process has significantly slowed the effort.
“The university has selected Sodexo for their long-standing relationship as a true business partner Pang wrote in an e-mail. Sodexo has demonstrated its effectiveness in managing our board plans retail sales event catering concessions summer camps graduations NSO Bible Lectures and our conference centers.”
In a later interview Pang discussed Pepperdine’s strong involvement with Sodexo.
“[They] satisfy a lot of criteria Pang said. They have [provided for] all the things that students are requiring.”
Finfrock acknowledged the competitive nature of the hospitality industry but supported Sodexo’s Pepperdine team. “It’s the team that makes the difference he said.
Pang said Rothberg and Student Affairs meet with Sodexo regularly to discuss menu offerings and changes and SGA leadership is constantly talking with Sodexo’s general manager.”
Finfrock detailed the steps that Sodexo has taken to meet students’ needs including expanding the hours of the cafeteria and adding a second value menu day per week. The Caf will now offer a value menu on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Sodexo has also been actively involved in the sustainability campaign on campus led by Chris Duran and the food and beverage committee.
When it comes to satisfaction with Sodexo students are taking price and quality into consideration.
“There is no way I’m going to pay for Sodexo said senior Kristian Glenn, who lives off campus. It’s not even worth the price.”
Glenn said her dislike of the company’s food is nothing new.
“I’ve always wanted them to get rid of Sodexo Glenn said. It tastes worse every year.”
Senior Andrew Pendergast expressed his displeasure with Sodexo and said he did not notice a price decrease at all.
“I’m sick of paying $8 for a Powerade and a chicken wrap Pendergast said. I think the price has gone up since I was a freshman.”
Students at University of Southern California and California Lutheran University two other private California universities that use Sodexo are also struggling with prices.
“I don’t usually buy food on campus because it is so expensive. Seven dollars for a sandwich is kind of expensive said Brittany Younger, a junior at USC. Prices have increased since last year.”
Based on the prices provided on Cal Lutheran’s dining services Web site their’s are comparable and in some cases higher than Pepperdine’s. For grab-and-go items their grilled chicken salad is $5.79 to Pepperdine’s $5.99 but tuna salad sandwiches and turkey sandwiches are $3.59 and $3.89 respectively while at Pepperdine both cost $2.99.
Students at Cal Lutheran pay up to $5.50 for pizza significantly higher prices than at the Oasis at Pepperdine and $2.50 for soup compared to $2.09 in Malibu.
Those critical of Sodexo’s services are pushing a move to another company.
“I noticed the price [of food] at Pepperdine differs from UCLA said Adam Quaal, freshman at University of California, Los Angeles. When he came to Pepperdine to visit a friend he noticed a key difference: UCLA’s dining halls charge per meal rather than per item.
It probably would be a better alternative Pepperdine junior Rachel Williams said.
Williams said that girls who would normally have extra points each semester have gone through half their points in the first month of this semester due to prices.
Princeton Review ranked UCLA in the top 20 for best campus food. One swipe of a student’s meal card is good for an all-you-can-eat meal. The cost is $5.50 for breakfast, $7.00 for lunch and $8.25 for dinner.
Student senators discussed what they would like to contribute to meetings with Sodexo at the SGA meeting on Oct. 7.
The SGA food committee is planning to meet with Martin Finfrock, area general manager for Sodexo.
Our plan as a committee is to meet with Sodexo to voice student issues and gain perspective on how the cafeteria is run said Alex Pennekamp, senior class president and food committee chair.