A Closer Look At Aramark

If one were to look around the campus, disarray would be the first word that would pop into one's mind. The students and staff are preparing the stakes to burn the president and provost, financial aid is disappearing and there are talks of strikes by the staff. It is a scary time for NEIU, but it is important to not forget something that is working right on campus.

When Aramark came to the Eagle's Nest this summer and removed the stagnation of Sodexo, students rejoiced at the improved choices, eatable food and friendlier staff that had become a reality. Long gone are the stale grilled cheese sandwiches hours old in the window that were harder than diamonds. Long gone are the overpriced subsandwiches with two pieces of meat on them. Long gone is Sodexo.

Aramark brings something to the table that many other companies don't in the cafeteria food business and that is brining minority owned and small business restaurants onto the campus. In an age where there is much corporate sponsorship and many corporate hands are in the pockets of failing universities. It is nice to have a company that not only caters to local businesses, but shows that independent business is not dead. To a generation of students graduating with dismal outlooks in the job market and an overall entrepreneurial spirit that has died, Aramark has shown some responsibility by bringing in these companies.

Robinson's Ribs, Asia Xpress and Saffron are not an attempt at sounding authentic by corporate giants, but rather local businesses. The people who serve food from these stations are not Aramark employees, they employees of the company they are representing. If one looks for these businesses, they will find that they actual exist in Chicago.

Caliente and Good to Go, however are not independent businesses, but rather "concepts" of the Aramark company. However, this does not deem them evil or part of some giant chain. An anonymous source within Aramark stated that the people working within these entities are constantly listening to their customers and developing new ideas for the customers based upon their feedback. Essentially everytime a student offers their feedback, those cooking the food listen and relay the info back to their headquarters, which in return allows for a change for the better for the students.

Students are talking about the change also. "What I really like about the new cafeteria is that there are name brand foods. I like that I know it's going to be good because I had it before," said Davette Franklin, sophomore. "The main problem they have though is they're never open. I can't get anything to eat in the afternoon."  

Other students noted that there was a lack of pizza slices and did not want to eat a Subway pizza. Almost all students were excited for Robinson's Ribs sandwiches, especially the pulled turkey. Most students complained that either the salad bar closes at an hour that would make early bird seniors protest and that the rest of the stations close far too early. Certain NEIU staff members relayed their excitement at the options and the price range of the food as they returned to eating on campus.

"Yeah, it's much better," Brad Gertz, junior, said with delight, "they have provided a much more positive dining atmosphere, better choices, with more of a food court feel, and are much more compliant to student needs for organizations on campus. Prices for catering are a little expensive, but on a whole, it blows Sodexo out of the water and they are a much more established company."

Beyond their established image, NEIU put forth effort in researching Aramark to see the quality that company brings. To do this NEIU had sent representatives to other college campuses in which Aramark is the dining company, and see how the company works in the field. Along with the good results from NEIU's research, Aramark managed to do something that is often rare as a replacement situation for a company, and that is retain roughly 85 percent of the previous Sodexo staff.

"It should take a year or so," an anonymous source in the Aramark company told the Independent on getting their service fully efficient. "Right now we are working on getting things right. We are changing hours, working on establishing who will be a fixture and who will be gone at the end of the year. I'm really excited for what we will be doing in a year."