By Kimberly King
Staff Writer
What do Pepperdine students eat in the Waves Café? This is an important question to students and food service professionals alike. Students who rely on the cafeteria often comment that while the food here is better than other universities, there are still some changes they would like to make. Sophomore Amber Leonard said that the fruit and some produce are not the freshest and she would like more variety. Senior Jennifer Shobert explained she used to be a vegan, but found it too difficult to find vegan dishes in the caf. These are common concerns.
The managerial Pepperdine Campus Dining staff is working on fixing them soon.
Believe it or not, great amounts of effort are put into the meal planning and producing. Gene Perkins, general manager of Pepperdine Campus Dining dining services, said he has a team of managers observing the cafeteria to see what meals students prefer.
“We really want to know what the students want to eat,” Perkins said. “We are a service organization, and we are here to serve the students.”
Samir Khalil, Pepperdine Campus Dining operations manager, pointed out the importance of the comment cards located near the conveyor belt area. These cards are a great way to get one’s questions and complaints answered. The managers read each of the cards and try to adjust the service accordingly. Perkins was pleased to announce they will soon be adding a vegetarian/vegan station to better accommodate the ever-growing vegetarian population. The new station is coming later in the semester.
Marianne Robertson, a dietitian at the Student Counseling Center, praised the Pepperdine Campus Dining staff for the willingness to work with students who follow restrictive diets.
“All you have to do is ask them and they will help,” she said. “I have referred several clients to them.”
The cafeteria has gone through several changes over the years, and Robertson explains that the “cook-to-order” method provides students with fresher and hotter meals. The chefs prepare smaller batches of food on the stoves so that the food spends less time sitting around in trays.
— Questions about healthy eating? E-mail kimberly.r.king@pepperdine.edu
January 23, 2003
