By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Reviews of Fort Hays State University's new food service have been mixed in its first semester. Some students said they are dissatisfied with the food services on campus, specifically in McMindes Hall.
The six-story residence hall accommodates about 620 students on campus and includes various facilities, including a cafeteria-style dining location known as McMindes Cafe.
Earlier this year, Fort Hays State University announced a one-year food service and catering agreement with Union Catering Company in Hays.
Owners Wes Rathbun and Philip Kuhn of the catering company assumed responsibility from Chartwell's Higher Education Dining for providing food services on campus.
FHSU student Henry Hein has eaten on campus for the last three years and describes his overall experience as negative.
"We got a new catering service this year and I thought, 'OK, it probably can't get any worse.' I was very wrong," he said.
Hein said the food service quality has improved a little over time but suggests others be cautious with food items like chicken.
"It's not uncommon for it to be undercooked. You have to be careful with that. If stuff isn't undercooked, it's commonly overcooked and dry," he said.
Other issues Hein took with the services include warm or spoiled beverages, long wait times and prices.
Fort Hay State University offers three different meal plans for students to choose from.
• Open Access includes $900 in Dining Dollars, priced at $4,523 per year ($2,261.50 per semester).
• A package of 10 weekly swipes and $1,000 in Dining Dollars, priced at $4,322 per year ($2,161 per semester).
• A package of seven weekly swipes and $1,200 in Dining, priced at $4,258 per year ($2,129 per semester).
Hein said he thinks the high prices don't align with the quality of the food being provided despite being on the cheapest meal plan.
"I know multiple colleges with cheaper meal plans and much better food," Hein said.
FHSU student Ross, who did not want to give his first, has tried various campus food services across the state and noted Fort Hays State University as his least preferred dining option.
"I went to K-State and Salina once, I thought their food was a little better than here. It's probably on the lower end," Ross said.
Other issues Ross has had with Fort Hays State University food services include burnt food, cold food, unflavored chicken and prolonged wait times.
"At one point it did get clear out to the front doors," Ross said regarding the long lines at McMindes Cafe.
The recently implemented card system for dining at the Memorial Union food court and McMindes Hall has been criticized by students as inefficient.
Previously, students had to swipe their cards, but the new system requires them to tap, leading to slow and time consuming processing that results in extended wait times.
Other student concerns about the food service include flavorless dishes, unusual food appearances, lack of consistency, limited operating hours and mislabeling or misplacement of food cards that provide information on the item like its calorie count.
Owner Philip Kuhn of Union Catering Company takes responsibility for inaccurate food cards and is determined to bring high service to students after a difficult start to the school year.
"As far as labels, I totally own up to that," he said. "We want to make sure that we give the best quality and service. It's an ongoing process and to be able to come in within 60 to 120 days to develop all of these concepts and train staff was a huge challenge for us."
FHSU Chief Communications Officer Scott Cason expressed his approval of Union Catering Company considering the short preparation time they had.
"I thought they did a pretty remarkable job at standing up in a month and a half," Cason said.
Addressing student concerns regarding problems with food services, Kuhn said he aims to improve every aspect that students find problematic.
"We appreciate all feedback," he said. "We're taking steps to become better every single day and week, so I hope we can continue that through the right channels of being able to get feedback."
Suggestions from students to improve the food service include replacing food items that have been on display for a prolonged period with fresh ones, increasing the rotation of food options, prioritizing staff improvements and ensuring consistency in food quality.
Cason encourages students to voice their concerns so the catering company can learn what can be improved.
"Those are the kind of things that I hope students are sharing, whether it's through the QR code feedback or surveys," he said. "If they want consistency, then they should expect that and they're free to demand it."
If you've had a dining experience with Union Catering Company on campus and want to share your feedback, click here.
"If you consider dining with a social experience, I think that the Memorial Union might lend itself a little better to that," Cason said.
Kuhn said chain restaurants have restrictions on changing food items, but his company still tries its best to give students what they want.
"Within a franchise restaurant, you're stuck with what their product is, but if a student comes up and says this is too salty or doesn't have the flavor that I thought it would, we can change it," Kuhn said.
Pizza Hut and Starbucks are the two franchise restaurants on campus. Kuhn said bringing other chain restaurants onto campus, such as Chipotle, Chick-fil-A or Panda Express, is complicated.
"They have their own rules and regulations," Kuhn said. "Not saying it isn't possible, but it's difficult."
Restaurants found at the Memorial Union alongside Pizza Hut and Starbucks are Campus Grille, JaJa's Burritos and Bowls, Bamboo Bistro, Hoagies and the Student Stash Market.
Students with whom the Hays Post spoke expressed a preference for dining at the Union food court over McMindes Hall.
They noted a slight improvement in both food quality and service since the beginning of the semester at both the Union and McMindes.
FHSU student Clair Roland said she appreciates the diverse range of choices offered at the Union and finds it enjoyable to both dine and work on assignments there.
"I love it. I've never had an issue with it. Overall, it's very high quality and I enjoy coming here," she said.
Roland said she likes Bamboo Bistro in the Union food court and appreciates the Union's healthy options.
"If you want to eat healthy, there are healthy options for you like the salad bar. They're not just shoving fast food in your face," Roland said.
FHSU student Adam Shultz said he recognizes the overall cleanness of the Union and appreciates the efforts faculty and staff go through to maintain a sanitary eating experience.
"At the Union, I always see staff with their nets and gloves on. They're very good at changing their gloves so that's something I like to see," Shultz said.
FHSU student Connor Hilge frequently dines at McMindes Cafe and said his overall experience has been good.
"The chicken I just had was amazing. It was really juicy and tasty. It's almost always pretty good," he said.
Hilge highlighted the diverse range of choices at McMindes, including pizza, hot dogs, burgers and wings in addition to the available healthy options.
"There's always fruit and vegetable options in the salad bar that can go with the main dish," he said.
As the fall semester comes to an end, Kuhn said he intends to work over winter break to bring necessary changes to the food service.
"It's great that the students get that break, but we're not going to take that break," Kuhn said. "That allows us to get with staff and go over recipes, training and analyze the data given to us through either the feedback from Fort Hays or through the QR codes, then make educated decisions on where we go from there."
Cason said during a recent meeting, five vendors expressed interest in offering food services to Fort Hays State University in the future.
"It's an appealing business opportunity for other providers that would be potentially interested in becoming our next food service provider," Cason said.
For more information on dining at Fort Hays State University, click here.