UTSC Food User Committee

MINUTES

March 15th, 2016

10:00am – 11:30am

AA160

AGENDA

  1. Welcome & Introductions
  2. Introductions
  3. Frank reviewed the mandate of the committee to review items of food. Food is food for students. Frank noted that we have different providers (lease, SCSU, Aramark).
  4. Food website has the minutes and the agendas of previous meetings.
  1. Business Arising from the Minutes
  1. Update on Rotisserie feature

Sold out for the rotisserie features both the lunch and dinner

  1. Update on Fresh Food Vending

Moved from sandwich supplier to start our own vending machine for fresh fruits, yogurts and salads. Aramark is now updating that every day. Only TCard. Mohsin mentioned that most sales are late at night when everything is closed.

  1. Update on Paramount Opening

Paramount was successful – double sales at the station. Aramark noted that a lot of repeat customers. Product is fantastic. Noted that the salads are great size. Frank mentioned that when we reviewed Paramount as a concept, it was a Canadian entrepreneur shop. Now in many campuses. Fastest growing business in Canada.

  1. Tim Horton Sandwiches
  2. Trial at the kiosk with the fridge. Indy noted they pulled the sandwiches as the cost was too high. The cost of sandwich was $7.95 which was too high. They are working on a different program which we may participate in.
  1. Update on TeaBot

Frank met with a U of T Grad who proposed to have a machine with Loose tea blends. Way to have a hot tea with loose leaf teas. One downtown at St. George. We are currently looking at locations and waiting to hear back from him. It would be great to have it for afterhours. Kavita wanted to know if this was the same as the coffee machine? Frank mentioned that he hasn’t really seen a good coffee vending machine however, if we have the isolation (no coffee close by) it won’t compete with Tims or Starbucks. Does not require plumbing.

  1. Sub-Committee Review
  2. Catering –

Scott, Frank V, Parsh, Yasmin – met on Feb 26 – ways to increase catering options on campus. Reviewed food beverages website catering section. Promoting internal catering groups – now on intranet booking system there is a link to the catering website. Discuss catering options to get to executive members. Campus groups getting food from external groups – developing a set of instructions when catering. Scott has created a sample template but nothing official yet. Frank mentioned that if Rex’s could have a samosa that would be great as samosa king has a great deal of requests. If an external vendor is on DineSafe, they’re generally approved. Viewing their Certificate of Insurance is a good check. The University likes to have $5M in coverage, but $2M is generally okay. You don’t generally have to tip the internal vendor and they have chaffing dishes to keep them warm.

  1. Residence

Residence Sub-Committee did not meet. Tom Snell, generally the lead in these initiatives, has moved on. A replacement will be named and Frank P will ensure a meeting will happen.

  1. Sustainability

Nadia H – Fair Trade Application is still in review; had to make a few minor changes with Fair Trade Coffee [at Starbucks] – Marketplace and Student Centre have Fair Trade. Figuring out from La Prep as well in order to get Fair Trade designation. Working out with the Fair Trade designators to see ‘where we have control and where we don’t’ – Lug a Mug programming and Good Food box programming ongoing (drop off and pick up through Residence; sign-up through Billi Jo). Two composting boxes in the student centre; students made signs to indicate no Styrofoam. Looking into a reusable container program but going to see how this model works at other Universities. Goal: get the container contents to go into compost and then throw the Styrofoam away. Asian Gourmet is the main Styrofoam user in the Student Centre; want to work on alternatives for use instead. Two other Universities have tried to remove Styrofoam containers.

Have to look at viable container options that make sense for both sides, then we can mandate it as a reasonable alternative for vendors to use.

Frank – renovating garbage station in the new Marketplace; can talk about composting option in there as well.

  1. New Business
  • Cooking Classes (Ary)

Chef Roland did some cooking classes in the marketplace from 6-8 in the kitchen. Ary spoke about his experience – liked his hands on. Learned a stir fry, omlete and pasta. Infused things from different cultures. They also joined in and ate after the session. Ary thought it was a good opportunity for once awhile.

What about having it a regular event – So the last Wednesday of the month – having a seasonal flare.

What about the bhoj chef doing some classes?

Frank noted that we do have a schedule of events. – We need to have it on the website and include in communications.

Ary: What about making food items to fundraise? Cupcakes or something.

  • Food Survey (SCSU)

Nikki distributed they survey. Ali started a facebook group around food on campus.

Ali created the food survey as they have some demands around food. Have about 600 members. Compiled a survey to get some data to help support their demands.

  • Nikki noted that about 500 students respond –breakdown of full time/pr time students. Summary of the trends – Generaylly students are disassitied on portion size in MarketPlace. Did not like the hours or price.
  • Dissastifsed with Service at MarketPlace
  • People are satisfied with booster juice
  • Dissassisted with paramount

Ali noted – personal experience – workers wear the same gloves all day. Pizza, then went to schawarma – same gloves. Rice was poured from one dirty bowl to a clean bowl.

Back to survey – prices at the MarketPlace – depends on who your server is. Paramoutn is receiving a lot of negative comments. Same thing as the options before but price increase. Hours of operation – not good for those people that stay late. Don’t like that everything is served by Aramark. There were some good comments as well. There were some students that were satisfied as well.

Nikki – included more of the comments that were made with all of the comments. Residents students commented on their comments from Meal plan. Have to spend more because they couldn’t find options. Purchasing food outside the university to feed themselves.

Dissasitifed from MarketPlace, La Prep and

Blue comments- Allergies and requesting things to be labeled. Aramark responded that it wasn’t their job to label things from allergy

Meal plans – no difference from regular plans – 15%

Food to price ratio – schwarma plate – small serving - $12 - paying too much for not enough food

Customer relations – lacking in the marketplace – some servers are in better moods, you get more. There are good experiences as well, but some times not good.

Hours of Operation – was also an issue

Ary – June 2015 campus survey – slide 18 – importance to students was hours of operation – Residence. Trend – noticed

Ali – something official.

Fatia – board member of SCSU - exam hours - late hours – office campus during the night during exams. Peak hours from 10 – 12pm maybe give more food options during that time. One Campus studying

Nikki – Rex’s was not included in the survey --- All data was omitted from the SRI

Nadia noted that her team went to Rex’s den last week and had horrible service. Nadia did note that she did have a reservation. We didn’t get menus. Etc.

Isabel noted that students can stay late – but she lives here all the time. Other students have meal plans – not always open – but need food options. Isabel noted that not all students know how to cook.

Frank noted that hours are important. He recognized this. And starting to really do homework. When exams are. What is happening and when to keep open. Frank noted that it’s hard to do with the current spaces. Maybe have a good truck available for after hours. We don’t have the economy of scale yet.

Ary noted that he’s been on this committee as a student for 4 years now. We will see operating hours change. That doesn’t mean we can’t have real discussions on the price and comment on the standards etc. Where can we be flexible.

As a committee we can focus on quality etc.

Ali mentioned that of course there needs to be a demnd. Maybe we need to promote the vending machines. A few more around?

Kavita – price point is noted to seasonal items – would be great to include to bring down the cost.

Frank noted that Aramark is unionized – benefits and pension plans – Indy noted that we are the only campus in food that are unionized. We need to note. Concerned that this is an issue. Frank noted that yes, this is an issue. And a very valid concern.

Parth – noted that she was at the marketplace last week – she’s a vegetarioan – and she wanted rice. The cashier/server was upset with the issue.

Niikki – marketplace –open concept - not structured – so some of the problems are different standards for franchises. So perhaps this is the issue? Frnak noted that cross training is very important. So we want to be sure that staff can do more than one station. Aramark does offer some of the good things on campus. It’s important to notice that we need to have a balance. Frank noteiced – less than a month since opening at paramount. We need to look at combos. Frank is surprised at the quality.

Fatima – Tim Hortons – busy hours –gotten their orders wrong – this hasn’t’ happened once or twice. It happens very often. Bagel with cream cheese turns into a cold bagel. We are paying for service.

Frank – we need to look at the feedback – we started the number system to help.

Frank – we don’t’ do a good job at getting feedback – we need to have an opportunity to get feedback from students. Sub committee to focus on feedback. There needs to be away from students to give feedback.

Ali – students are most happy with the self owned – he noticed that this lacks with the big corporations – they don’t have the pride there. The owners or operations.

  • People are coming forward to me – they were afraid too many people saying bad things – will Aramark get upset and raise costs? What about the students who live on campus ? They don’t want prices to rise if she did the survey. Afraid of the negative feedback.
  • Spent 3 weeks getting the survey – they would be penalized

Direct feedback – every food vendor -paper/feedback sheet - Code to scan and fill it in.

Frank – maybe we can also use this tool

Frank said this was great and happy with this.

Frank said that he’s always asking students – From this meeting today – we aren’t just saying we are closing at 7

Ali noted – displeased – students are motivated to have a boycott

Frank noted a boycott – people are motivated and want to hear his voice

Mohsin – noted that things are improving in food since he’s been a student. Data that we get – we can currently see what people are buying. What’s selling – what are the hours that are really busy. Feedback is great on Facebook and twitter can be used.

Billi jo

  • Next steps
  • Committee is not working – we need more students
  • Feedback Sub-Committee set up to address HOW to provide feedback and they
  • Yasmin – principles that feedback needs to go to vendors etc

Mohsin – feedback committee is awesome – the tool to deploy to students – app? Etc Mandatory for vendors. Service for rex’s etc

Way to get immediate feedback (need to address how merchants) great to have this on food user committee to help monitor. Needs to address immediate response.

  1. General Business
  1. SCSU (Jeremy Wills)
  2. T-Card+ (Mohsin Jeelani)
  3. Update from Aramark (Indy)
  4. Update from Assistant Director, Food Partnerships (Frank Peruzzi)
  1. Next Meeting Date June?